


Call Me Katie

by Willow_wolfe88



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Kidge - Freeform, Multi, kidgance - Freeform, klance, plance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-30
Updated: 2018-12-30
Packaged: 2019-09-30 10:36:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 24,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17222420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Willow_wolfe88/pseuds/Willow_wolfe88
Summary: COMPLETE. Keith gets some sense knocked into him, and admits his feelings for Katie. But maybe there's more to his emotions than he first realised.THIS WORK IS MY OWN, ORIGINALLY POSTED ON WATTPAD





	1. Ooof...

“Good job kid” Keith said, as he went to ruffle Pidges hair. They were walking to the kitchen after a heated training session.  
“Touch my hair one more time, arsehole,” she snapped, “You saw what I did to Lance.”  
Keith froze with his hand hovering above her head. She looked so cute when she was cranky, he was thankful to Lance for that, and her hair was just screaming to be ruffled, especially when it was all over the place after a workout. He liked how she had kept it short, it suited her. He extended his fingers slowly, and touched the tip of one part that was particularly sticking out.  
“Ooof!” Next thing he knew, he was flat on his back, his hands pinned either side of his head, the wind knocked out of him, gasping for air.  
“And I am NOT a fucking kid”.  
He looked up at her, sitting on his chest, pinning his arms down, pouty face just inches from his.  
“Kiss me” he gasped, surprising himself. How had he been this stupid. He had been trying to avoid this, because he didn’t want complications within the team. He’d tried to flirt with other people. He’d tried to keep himself busy with The Blade. But he couldn’t help himself. He couldn’t stay away from her. He always found her, like there was some kind of gravitational pull between them. He knew he had wanted this all along. There was even that weird stage where everyone thought Pidge was a guy, and Keith had been so confused, but he had come to terms with the fact that he knew, that no matter what Pidge was, or wanted to be, he loved Pidge for exactly who they were.  
“Wait, WHAT?” she replied, a look of confusion coming across her face. She released his hands and sat up.  
“Kiss me” he repeated.   
She gasped, and scooted back.  
Keith sat up, resting back on his elbows, shifting her weight, so she was straddling his lap, being careful not to touch her. This choice had to be hers.  
“Why now?” she hung her head, she looked hurt.  
He lifted her head, and looked deep into her eyes. “Because I couldn’t stop myself anymore. It’s you Pidge, its ALWAYS been you.”  
She stood up, glaring at him “What about the way you use your emo Casanova tricks on everybody? You flirt with everybody whenever we land,” she imitated him, sweeping her hair over her face, then crossing her arms and pouting her lips, “‘I’m such an emo bad boy, that no one can understand, but maybe you can be the one to break down my emotional barriers?’” she threw her arms to her side, “I swear you even had a thing with Lance at one point. Fuck you, Keith, I’m NOT going to be another one of your notches!”  
Keith knew where she was coming from, but, still, he couldn’t keep the hurt look off his face. “Distractions, Katie, all of them.” She was taken aback by the use of her name. “Sure, I’ve flirted, trying to find someone to get my mind off you, and, yeah, it was fun toying with Lance, but I was never WITH anyone, Katie, I have never even kissed a single being since I met you. But I can’t hold back anymore.” He flung his arms out wide. “I didn’t want to risk the team. I didn’t want the risk that if something happened to us, it would affect the way we work together. I didn’t want us being out in the heat of battle, and we can’t get our heads on straight, and we can’t form Voltron, or risking our team, protecting each other. But I don’t care anymore, because to tell you the truth, my heads NOT on straight, Katie, it hasn’t been in a long time. I’ve been working so hard not to cause issues within the team, that I’ve become a hazard myself.” He pulled his knees up to his chest, and rested his chin on them, looking at her, waiting to see what she would do next. She stood there awkwardly, like she always did when she didn’t have something to keep her hands busy. She tried several times to say something, and cut herself off. He put his head down on his knees, so he couldn’t see her. No matter how much he loved her quirks, and watching her move, he could usually read her body language, and anticipate what she would do next, but this time he couldn’t, and it was torture.  
He heard movement, then nothing. He could feel that she was there, right in front of him. He raised her head to look at her, and she sat down, cross-legged in front of him.   
“I can’t just kiss you Keith…” she started, “I want to, of course I want to, but then what happens? I can’t kiss you, knowing how I feel, knowing, now, how you feel, and then just go back to being the way it was. It was hard enough when I thought that you thought I was just an annoying little kid, but now? I can’t be ignored again, Keith. Not now that I know it’s not just me that wants this.”  
Now it was Keith's turn to be shocked. “You feel this too?”  
“Since your mullet head drove us off a cliff yelling ‘Shut up and trust me!’ I saw how much Shiro meant to you, and what you would do for him. I put my faith and trust in you that day, and never stopped. My love grew at an exponential rate from there” she shrugged.  
“My little nerd” he chuckled, and went to ruffle her hair again, but stopped mid motion.  
She grabbed his arm, and placed his hand on her head. He gave her hair a quick ruffle, and slid his head down to her cheek.   
“Where do we go from here?” he asked  
“I’m not sure,” she replied, putting her hand over his, “But maybe we should go somewhere a little less public. We are in the middle of the passageway, the others will be finished soon, and who knows where Allura’s mice are hiding.”  
“You’re right, as always,” he said, as he began to stand, scouring the hallway for any sign of the mice. He didn’t want everyone knowing before they had a chance to figure it out themselves. He held out his hand to her. “Where should we go, Pidge?” he asked.  
She took his hand, “Katie,” she said, as she pulled herself up, “and I know where we can go…”


	2. L...O...A...D...I...N...G...

Chapter Two - L..O...A...D...I...N...G...

As they approached the hangar, they could see the blue glow of the forcefield, and Pidge was glad she had trained her lion not to let anyone, especially those annoying mice, come aboard. Ever since they had betrayed her secret to Allura, she hadn’t trusted the sneaky little rodents. She much prefered robots, they were much less likely to spill your secrets.   
Also being one of the two only females on this ship, she needed a space where she could go that she could call her own. Sure, she had her own room in the Castle of Lions, but that just didn’t feel like hers, plus there were no locks on the doors, and these boys had NO sense of privacy, especially Lance. And Allura was just as bad, always wanting girly chats. She should never have introduced her to chick flicks.  
They stood in an awkward silence, as the lion lowered its head, the electricity running between them was almost visible.They wouldn’t be interrupted here, and if anyone wanted to know why she and Keith had been alone on board the green lion, they could always make up some Voltron stuff, not that it was anyone's business. She pet her lions face as it opened its jaws to let them in.   
As soon as the jaw shut again, Keith moved towards her.  
“Keith…” she started, “Do you mind if we take it slow? This is all so new to me. I’ve wanted this for a long time, it’s just, I’ve never had anyone interested in me before, so i don't want to rush things?”  
“That’s okay, I don’t want to rush things either. I want to enjoy this.” He replied. “Although, I kinda don’t know how to be around you now,” he pushed his hair across his face. Classic Keith move, thought Pidge. “I’ve had to act around you for so long, I don’t know how to be myself, I’m scared to do the wrong thing”.  
Pidge took his hand, and the electricity intensified. “Why don’t we just take it easy, get to know each other without pretending.” She suggested. “We could play Magic and Manna, or we could just hang out and talk for awhile, we could watch a movie,or… we could play some video games?” her eyes lit up at that last suggestion.  
“Well, I don’t really…” he started, then stopped as her adorable face fell, “Okay, but you’re going to have to take it easy on me, it’s not really my kinda thing” he shrugged.  
She shook her head, excitement growing. “No way! Prepare to be annihilated!” She pulled him over to the makeshift lounge she had created in front of the monitors in the cargo hold.  
“You’ve got a good set up here. I might have to come around more often”, he smirked. “So this is where you get to?” he asked “When no one can find you, you’re up here, smashing virtual enemies? Don’t you get enough of that in real life?”.  
“Not always”, she replied, “I have a massive catalog of retro movies I’ve got hold of. I’m not a technical genius for nothing!” she looked so pleased with herself, “and sometimes i just need some time… away…” she finished.  
“I understand that,” he replied, “It may be a fairly large sardine can, but it’s a sardine can all the same. And I know it’s not easy living with everyone all the time. I love them all, in their own special ways, but man, every one of them has their annoying habits. It’s easy to feel trapped.”  
She nodded, “And I’ve always had something to hide”, she continued, “first, who I was, although the mice ratted me out on that one, and then, when I was trying to find my father and brother, it was hard, because it wasn't as much of a priority to everyone else, I spent a lot of time here, scanning the airwaves, trying to find some clue to go on. And then, it’s not easy pretending you don’t like someone. I’ve never been able to be my true self.”  
“Well, now we both can be” Keith smiled, and his whole face lit up. Katie had never seen him smile like that before. She fell for him all over again. “I’m sorry about your family. I guess I didn’t place that much value on the idea of family back then, we were all so busy adjusting, most of us were inconsiderate assholes.”  
“That’s true,” she smirked, “but you all came through with the goods when it really mattered. They’re safe, for now. We’ve just got to keep it that way.”   
“I’ll make sure of it” he said, as he brushed her hair away from her face. He had to stop, and take control of himself again, before he kissed her. “Now hows about i receive my ass-whooping?” He sat down, and motioned for her to sit next to him. He picked up the controller, and looked at it, puzzled, “How do I use this thing again?”  
She laughed, and sat down next to him. “You’re holding it upside down for starters,” she took it off him, turned it around and passed it back. “These ones are pretty straight forward, forward, back, left and right”, she said pointing to the buttons with the arrows, “You need to hold this one down and use the left and right if you want to look around, this one is to shoot, and these ones are jump, duck, attack, and this one brings up your inventory”, she said, pointing to each button in turn. Keith watched her face. He loved how her eyes lit up when she was excited about something, and she got little crinkles around her eyes when she laughed.  
He realised she had stopped explaining, and was staring at him.  
“You got all that?” she asked.  
“Yeah, I think so?”, Keith hadn’t really been paying attention, but he turned to face the screens anyway.  
Katie watched the screen as the game booted up. She wasn’t sure how much she’d be able to concentrate on the game, being this close to Keith, knowing how he felt, that he wanted her, of all people, but she needed to take it slow, that had been her decision, to protect herself. She shuffled back on the couch, and closer towards him. He snuggled in closer too. They both tried to not look at each other as the letters flashed across the screen…  
L...O...A...D...I...N...G…


	3. WE ARE SEX-BOB-OMB!!!

Chapter 3 - WE ARE SEX-BOB-OMB!!!

They sat at opposite ends of the couch, but their legs were tangled up between them. Pidge had got tired of beating Keith in video games, so she had put on a movie. She was obsessed with these vintage Earth movies, and this one was her favourite. It was so bad, it was good. She wondered if they had made it this bad on purpose, as she laughed at one of the lame jokes.

Keith wasn’t paying attention to the screen. He had heard somewhere that you can learn a lot about a person from the way they watched a movie. He had to admit, he was a little concerned at her movie choice, he had lost the point ages ago, it was about a guy battling this one girls evil ex’s, who were like video game characters, while this other girl chased after him. There was more to the plot, but it was so hard to follow. How can she enjoy this? He thought. He much more enjoyed watching her, how she silently mouthed her favorite lines without realising. How she laughed at the lame one liners before they even finished saying them. How she yelled out “We are sex-bob-omb!”, and thought it was hilarious. He laughed at her laughing.

“That’s really distracting, you know?” she said, tapping his inner thigh with her foot, but still watching the screen. “You’re missing out on a classic. It’s so hilariously bad. It had a real following in its day…”  
“I’m sure it did,” he replied, “but I can finally watch you, without hiding, now we’re out in the open. I don’t want to take my eyes off of you.”

 

Pidge looked at him then. She pulled her legs in, and readjusted herself so she was facing him. “Are we? Out in the open?” she asked.  
“Open with each other at least,” he replied, “No more pretending, we tell each other how we feel.” He reached out to her, “I’d like to keep you to myself for a little bit longer, if you don’t mind”  
“I would be happy with that” she said, coming to him. He opened his arms, and she lay between him and the couch. There were definitely perks to being tiny. He wrapped his arms around her, and she snuggled in. They both seemed to hum with contentedness.

“Keith?” she asked, playing with his fingers.  
“Yeah?” he replied, resting his chin on her head.  
“You do, you know, want to eventually be out in the open? Like, this isn’t some kind of joke? Or you don’t want to hide me away forever, or I’m going to wake up, and you’re going to be gone?” she rambled.  
He squeezed her fingers in his, hard. “Is that proof enough you’re not dreaming?” he asked, “I love you, Katie Holt, and I want to be with you. If you wanted, I will go announce it to the world. I just thought maybe we could figure this out ourselves before we have to deal with everyone else. Because you know they’re all going to have opinions.”

She nodded, that thought had been at the back of her mind, but she had been trying to ignore it. Like he had said before, they were part of a team, and she didn't want to do anything to risk that. But she was sick of putting the team before her happiness. She not only wanted Keith, she needed him. She had been so lonely, and found herself more and more drawn to him. When she felt sad, or happy, or angry, or excited, or alone, Keith was the only one she wanted to be near. She got the feeling Keith needed her as much as she needed him. But still.

“Do you think we are doing the right thing? Like, for everyone?” she asked.  
“I think it would be worse if we kept lying to ourselves” he replied.  
“Keith...” she said, twisting around to face him.  
“Yeah?” he asked, looking down at her.  
“Nothing” she answered, and with that, she finally kissed him.


	4. Floats Like a Butterfly, Stings Like a Bee

Chapter 4 - Floats like a butterfly, stings like a bee.

They had snuggled up talking, and enjoying each others company, until Pidge fell asleep. Keith just watched her sleeping, marvelling at the fact that he was there, and she was asleep in his arms. This was the kind of stuff he dreamed about, but never thought would happen. Just simply being with her was enough. He could lay like this forever.

Hunk’s voice came over the speaker system to break his thoughtfulness. “Pidge? Keith? You guys going to come down for dinner?”  
Pidge just snuggled deeper into Keith, refusing to open her eyes.  
“I really do love your hair, you know?” Keith said, as he twisted it between his fingers.  
“I never would have guessed,” she mumbled, “It’s not like you always find some reason to get your hands in it. It’s like you don’t even have a mullet of your own” she chuckled at her own jab.  
“Ouch”, he replied, giving her hair a gentle tug.

Another voice came over, this time it was Lance’s “Seriously guys, Allura did a scan, we know you’re both in there, if you don’t come, Hunk’s gonna eat your food!”  
“You reckon you learnt enough about video games to pull off a decent cover?” Pidge asked, lifting her head, and looking at him with one open eye.  
“I know which way the controller goes, and what the buttons do, and that you’re good enough to beat my ass anyday, what else is there to know?” he laughed, poking her in the ribs.  
“That’s the important stuff anyway”, she said with a grin, as she sat herself up, “Ugh, we better go show ourselves and eat, then. I wish we could stay here forever.”  
“Funny,” he said, stretching, “I was just thinking the same thing. But we can take comfort in the fact that this isn’t going away. We can come back at anytime. You’re not going to be able to get rid of me.”

She jumped up, and grabbed his hand “That reminds me, before we go, let me do this one thing quickly.”   
“How are you so full of energy so quickly? It usually takes me ages to wake up after a sleep, especially during the day.” he questioned.   
“I have trained my body to work on short bursts of sleep,” she replied “Tesla used to only sleep an average of three hours a night, but he believed day naps recharged the batteries. Da Vinci used to sleep in short bursts of 20 to 120 minutes, at irregular times, so his body wouldn’t get used to drops in productivity at the same time each day. Naps are brilliant things” She pulled him in the cockpit, and jumped into her chair. 

“Your brain is a brilliant thing” he mused, “So what are you up to?”  
“Green will recognise you, this is our space now” she said, her fingers flying across the keyboard.  
“Are you sure?” he asked “What if something happens?”  
“Of course I’m sure,” she replied, getting up, and walking to the hatch, “I know I can trust you, and you will respect my privacy, and space. It will just be easier this way, we’ll have our own space to meet up, when we want. Plus, I can always train her to shoot on sight if something happens down the track.”  
“Not that it will” he chuckled, wrapping his arms around her from behind.  
“Not that it will,” she agreed, “now let’s go eat some goo!”

*****

As they left the hangar, Keith took Pidge’s hand in his.  
“Watch it, mullet boy, I thought we agreed on secrecy?” Pidge said, poking him in the side.  
“Hey!” he laughed, “They’re all in the dining room, I can risk a few more minutes of this,” Suddenly he swung her around, and pushed her against the wall. “And this...” he whispered as he leant in. 

The electricity that went through them as their lips met left them both breathless. As they pulled apart, Pidge took his hand, and began pulling him back to the green lion. Keith stood his ground. “Food is overrated anyway!” she whined, tugging on his arm.

“Now that is adorable” he laughed, Pidge pouted. “Please don’t do that, you will make me give in.” She pouted some more, and gave him the puppy dog eyes. “NO!” he laughed “You really do need some food. I’m not going to be responsible for what you say when you get hangry later.”   
“Fine.” She pouted more, but let go of his hands, she knew he was right. 

He picked her up, and put her over his shoulder.  
“Put me down, beefy keithy!” She laughed.  
“We really need to work on pet names, Kitty Kat” he said,  
“Emo casanova?” she said, in a serious voice “Space casanova? Space Emo? Super Emo Space Casanova?”

They had almost got to the dining room, so he stopped to put her down.  
“I think I prefer beefy keithy” he whispered.   
They both burst out laughing, and walked through the door.

*****

“Where have you guys been?” whined Lance, “Well, we know WHERE you have been, but WHY?” Lance was always so dramatic, and a tad jealous that his best bud/ rival was spending time with little Pidge.  
“We were bored, so Pidge decided she was going to teach me how to play video games.” Keith shrugged.  
“All that time? You were gone for HOURS! Didn’t you get sick of Pidge pummelling your arse?”  
“We also watched a movie.” Pidge cut in, “And who knows, Keith’s getting pretty good, if he keeps going, maybe one day HE’LL be lucky enough to pummel MY arse.” she said smugly.

Keith made a choking noise. He had just put a spoonful of food goo in his mouth, and almost spat it back out.  
“Oh, little Pidgey,” Lance laughed, “if only your innocent mouth knew what it was saying.”  
Hunk looked at Pidge, and raised his eyebrows, “I think she knew EXACTLY what she was saying”

“I hang around you long enough, lover boy Lance, and the innuendo is going to rub off” she shrugged. “You can flirt, and make inappropriate comments, but I can’t?” she was already in a bad mood with Lance from the incident in the training room before, it didn’t take long for her to be fuming.

Shiro sat in a stunned silence. For the first time he realised that Pidge was no longer the young child that had helped rescue him. She was blossoming into a beautiful young woman. She held herself with pride, and dignity, and despite her tiny size, she wasn’t afraid to stand up for herself. She was always full of sass, he knew that, but it had always been a defence mechanism, she hid away behind her glasses and her wall of sarcasm, but now she had come out of her shell. She knew when to use her cuteness to get her own way, but she could fight back too. Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee, Shiro mused. She was powerful. And he was proud.

Lance sat with his mouth open, “Yeah, but…” he cut himself off when she gave him the death stare.   
“Enough Lance!” Allura had been watching silently the exchange between the Paladins, and she could see the anger building on Pidge’s face.  
“Maybe you need to face the fact that PIDGEY isn’t a little kid anymore” Pidge spat out. She stood up and left the room, without touching her food. 

Keith stood up, picking up both their plates, and going to follow her.  
“I’ll go,” Allura said, stopping Keith , “Sometimes girl talk is the best option.” She walked towards the kitchen. “Besides,” she added. “maybe we can even have a sleepover!” she said excitedly and walked out the door.


	5. Nunvil, Nail Polish, and Lorelai Gilmore

Chapter 5 - Nunvil, nail polish, and Lorelai Gilmore

“Pidge?” she could hear Allura calling, outside her door, “Pidge, can you let me in? I can’t do the sensor, my arms are full.”  
Oh no, Pidge thought to herself, this can’t be good. She knew that Allura would take this as an opportunity for girl talk, and she wondered what horrors she would be subjected to. She wished she had never introduced Allura to Earth television and movies, although they were a lot less terrifying than the Altean movies Coran had made them watch, and who knows, maybe she could do with some girl time? She would just have to be careful what she said.

“Pidge?” Allura called again.   
“Coming” she huffed. She swung her legs off her bed, and sat herself up. She swiped the sensor near the door, and stood bracing herself for what was to come.  
Allura swept in, carrying a box under one arm, while holding a bag in that hand, and a bottle of nunvil and two glasses in her other hand.

“What have you got there, Allura?” she asked reluctantly. She wasn't sure if she even wanted to know.  
“A sleepover pamper kit, of course” she beamed. “I’m going to help you get back to your normal Pidgey self in no time.” Her face fell as Pidge hissed at the name ‘Pidgey’. “Sorry,” she said, “Pidge. Back to Pidge in no time…”, she stopped “Or would you prefer Katie?” she asked, “When we found out you were a female, we never asked whether you wanted to be called Pidge or Katie, we just kept on calling you Pidge. We really should have asked what you prefer!” She looked at Pidge guiltily.   
“No, no, Pidge is fine,” she replied, “I always hated it, it’s what Matt called me, but when he disappeared, it helped me feel closer to him, now it’s grown on me. Only my family call me Katie, it’s more personal.” she shrugged. “You can call me Katie, if you want” she added when she saw Allura’s face fall, “Just not around the others.” She sat down on the bed. “I need to keep up this persona when I’m around them. They think I’m tiny and weak as it is, I don’t need to add ‘feminine’ to their idea of me.”

“Oh Pidge,” “Katie…” she smiled, “You are one of the most strong and powerful people I know.” she sat beside her, and put her arm around her. “You would stop at nothing to find and rescue both your brother, and your father. You fight to protect the citizens of the planets we defend, and bring justice to the Galra. You are brave in any situation, and do not step back when confronted with danger, even when you have to face it on your own. You attack problems head on, thinking logically when others can not. You are fierce, but you are also gentle, and compassionate, and that is not a bad thing. It takes both qualities to make a good person Pidge.” she finished by shoving Pidge gently.

“Wow Allura,” she replied, slightly shocked, “Thank you. Nobody has ever said anything so nice to me before.”  
“But they notice” Allura replied. “Those boys out there consider you with the highest respect, and would do anything for you, and follow you into any battle. You are a very important part of the team, and a very good friend, they are just too quiznakingly stupid to tell you.”  
Pidge blushed.  
“You feeling better?” Allura asked.  
“A little, yeah.” Pidge replied.  
“Can we put Gilmore Girls on now, then?” she asked.

Pidge groaned, but secretly it was her favourite of the old television shows, she loved the banter that the characters had, they were truly on her level of sarcasm and awkwardness. She thought of Keith, and imagined him rolling his eyes at her. Maybe she really should be questioning her taste in entertainment. She couldn’t help but smile, which brought a blush to her face.

Allura, of course, noticed. “Ah, a smile I see, what could have brought that on?” she asked.  
“Nothing, just that I, ah, love Gilmore Girls” she lied, which made her blush more.  
Allura raised one eyebrow. “Why don’t I believe you, Earthling?” she prodded.   
“It’s nothing, seriously” Pidge tried to escape the questioning, “What’s in the box?”  
“A pillow, snacks, make-up, nail polish, face masks,” she replied  
“Nail polish, great, let’s do that” said Pidge, a little too enthusiastically.  
“Okay,” Allura replied, questioningly, taking Pidge’s hands in excitement. “I know you don’t looking all girly, but what is the harm in a little nail polish?” she watched as Pidge blushed a darker shade of red when she mentioned looking girly.

“Maybe I could look a little more girly” she mumbled.  
“I’ve never seen you get so flushed, and I swear I can feel your heartbeat race through your wrists. Are you okay?” questioned Allura, “Wait!” she proclaimed, “Is this about a boy? You’ve been going from extremely happy to snappy in the blink of an eye, you’ve been fighting with the boys, and I’ve heard you, on several occasions, remind the other Paladins that you are not a little girl. You want them to see you as a woman!” Allura sounded amazed.

Pidge groaned, and threw herself back on the bed. “Can we just put on Gilmore Girls?” she asked, hopefully.  
“No way! You can’t get out of it that easily!” Allura said back enthusiastically. She grabbed the Nunvil and the glasses from the floor, and threw herself down next to Pidge.   
Allura began pouring drinks, Pidge was trying to look anywhere but at Allura.

Suddenly Allura gasped. “It’s Lance isn’t it!?”  
“What in the quiznack! NO!” Pidge said, as she sat herself upright, taking a glass from Allura, and taking a big mouthful.  
“But you were so close when you first arrived, the Garrison Trio, and then you started fighting, all the time. Were you having feelings for the boy?” she said.  
“No Allura” Pidge sighed. “I don’t know what Lances issue is, he either ignores me, or annoys the quiznacks out of me. He always treats me like a little kid.”  
“And yesterday?” probed Allura.  
“He always gets in my way, and is always making fun of my size, and the fact that I’m a girl,” continued Pidge, “He jumped in between me and the training robot, and made a comment about saving princess Pidgey, so I showed him who was the princess” she finished, her fists balling up.

Allura looked at her with a look Pidge couldn’t read. Somewhere between sympathy, and knowing something Pidge did not.  
“Lance can be hard to understand,” Allura said softly, “Don’t be too hard on him.”  
Pidge rolled her eyes at Allura, and growled.  
“I assumed you were upset at Lance’s flirting” Allura said, “You didn’t seem to mind to start off with when he was flirting with strangers, or me, but I began noticing it when he started flirting with…” she stopped herself, finally realising the answer… “KEITH!” she gasped. “I thought you were just annoyed that Lance had turned to guys before he had turned to you, you kept getting angrier, and he kept pushing you. But he wasn’t the one you were interested in!” she said with a look on her face that could only be described as ‘the cat that got the cream’, she looked so smug, with all her knowledge, then her grin turned into a frown, “But isn't Keith gay?” she asked.  
“Um, Bi-sexual, I think?” Pidge answered, avoiding Allura’s eyes. Good, she thought, Allura may be on to her, but she wasn’t on to THEM… yet.  
“Hmm…” mused Allura, “I’ll need to think about this,” she said, pulling her box onto the bed, “And we need to come up with a plan!”  
Pidge choked on her drink. “What… what do you mean a plan?” she asked,  
“A plan to get Keith to notice you, of course.” she looked at Pidge as if she was dense.  
“But, ah, wouldn’t that be against the rules?” Pidge stammered. “You know, we’re part of a team, and we shouldn’t date team members, it’s a big risk, and all that?”  
“I’m the princess, and I make the rules,” she replied, “I didn’t stop it when Lance and Keith were doing whatever they were doing, so I’m not going to stop you.”  
“Well, ah, thank you Princess” Pidge said, “I’m glad you feel that way, and, ah, I kinda don’t need your help, I’ve already got it sorted” she blushed.  
Allura looked shocked. “Pidge Gunderson! You are going to tell me everything! But first,” she stood up, and fished her pyjamas and some snacks out of the box, “I need to get comfortable before I get the juicy details!”.  
Pidge couldn’t help but laugh at how much Allura resembled Lorelai Gilmore in that moment.


	6. The Mating Rituals of the Weblum

Chapter 6 - The mating rituals of the Weblum

Keith knew that Allura would be spending the night with Pidge, so he began walking back to his room. He knew he had longed for this. He knew he had had feelings for Pidge. What he hadn’t expected was the intensity he would feel when he finally gave into them. His arms ached more with wanting to hold her, now that he knew what holding her felt like. He wanted to be with her every second. Now that she had opened herself to him, he had become fully consumed by her. 

‘Don’t be stupid’, he thought to himself, throwing his arms into the air, ‘you’ve always been consumed by her!’ he put his head in his hands.

“KEITH! Watch where you’re going!” He hadn’t been paying attention, and walked straight in to Lance. He barely bumped the boy, but he had thrown himself against the opposite wall as if Keith had ran into him with a battering ram, made more dramatic by the fact that Lance was in nothing but briefs.  
“Sorry Lance, I… I wasn’t watching where I was going… ”  
“More like having an argument with yourself!” Keith laughed, “What’s the matter, can’t decide what shade of black you want to wear tomorrow?”  
“Ah, yeah, something like that…” Keith said, and tried to walk around Lance.  
Lance’s smile fell of his face, and he cut Keith off, “Seriously, what's wrong, mullet?” he said, trying to make eye contact, “You never resist a jibe, especially from me?” it was more of a question than a statement.  
“I’m okay,” Keith replied. “What are you doing out here anyway, in your underwear no less?”  
Lance didn’t believe him, but he wasn’t going to press the issue. “I needed a glass of milk to help me sleep, I was going to visit Kaltenecker” he shrugged. “Anyway, goodnight”, he started walking away.  
Keith suddenly didn’t want to be alone in his room, “Ah, you wanna watch a movie or something?”  
Lance’s eyes lit up “You and me? Lancey Lance and Keithy boy?” he asked.  
“Sure, Allura and Pidge are having a girl night, why don’t we have a guys night?” he said, “We can ask Hunk and Shiro too, maybe even Coran?” Keith suggested.  
“Ah, sure, sounds like fun” Lance turned away, slightly disappointed, “They’ve all only just gone to bed, so they should still be up. I’ll go get Coran, if you want to get Hunk and Shiro. Make sure they bring pillows and blankets”   
Keith began to walk away, then stopped like he remembered something, “Lance?” he asked  
“Yeah Keith?”  
“Pyjama bottoms are not optional.” he pointed down, “I might be fine with your briefs, but I think it might be too much for Coran to handle.”  
“Too much Lance for anyone to handle!” he winked, shot Keith with his finger guns, and walked away.

*****

Keith had only suggested hanging out and watching a movie, but Lance had other ideas.  
Keith had gone and told Hunk and Shiro about the guys night, and made a quick trip to his room (making a detour past Pidge’s room on the way, he could hear giggling, and was glad she was happy again) to get into his pyjamas and grab his bedding.  
By the time he got back Lance was standing on a low table in the center of the room, wearing cow print footsie pyjamas, and directing Shiro to move the furniture.  
“Wha?... Wasn’t the furniture bolted down?” he asked, raising an eyebrow, “You know, for safety reasons?”  
“It was!” said Coran, jumping up from behind a couch with a spanner, “I’ve done the calculations, and unless there is some reason we have to jump through a wormhole, we are perfectly safe. And the chances of that happening are very low.” he beamed.  
“Ugh! Don’t say it like that, you’ll jinx us!” said Hunk, coming through the door behind Keith with his arms full of snacks. “You know whenever we plan to do something relaxing, or we feel safe, someone says something like that, and then we are attacked by the Galra!”’  
“Not gonna happen tonight, Hunk my boy” he said, jumping off the table, and slapping him on the back. “Tonight is all fun, all the time!”  
“Ah… okay…” he said, emptying his arms on to the table, “We’ll see…”  
“Are we done now, Lance?” huffed Shiro. Keith could see he regret coming.  
Lance surveyed the room. “Almost” he said, reaching behind the couch, pulling out an unidentifiable pile of metal, and placing it in the centre of the room. “Coran, if you will?”.  
Coran turned the lights off. The pile of metal started to glow, and one by one, little specks of light started to shine around the room.  
“Oh cool!” said Hunk, “a campfire under the stars!” he grabbed his blankets and sat down. The others quickly joined him, as Lance came to stand by Keith.  
“Whadda you think, Keithy?” he asked, quietly.  
“It’s pretty amazing” replied Keith, stunned at how fast Lance had pulled it all together.  
Lance beamed. “I’ve had it ready to go for a while,” he said, “just waiting for a chance to use it.”  
“Never know when you’re going to need a date plan, huh?”  
“Yeah, we could rescue a beautiful alien at any minute,” laughed Lance, “Now, what movie should we watch?” he said louder to the rest of the group.  
“I have an interesting documentary on the mating rituals of the Weblum?” piped up Coran.  
“NO!” the rest hollered. They looked at each other, and burst out laughing.


	7. My Milkshake Brings all the Boys to the Yard

Chapter 7 - My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard  
The boys were spread out all over the floor when Pidge and Allura walked into the room the next morning. Keith was sleeping sitting upright in the corner, Shiro had somehow ended up under the table, Lance was spooning Coran, and Hunk lay like a starfish in the middle of the room.

Allura motioned to Pidge to stay quiet as she carefully made her way to stand on the other side of the room. “PALADINS!” she yelled at the top of her voice, “WE ARE UNDER ATTACK, GET TO YOUR LIONS, NOW!”

All of a sudden there was action, as everyone sprung awake. Shiro jumped up quickly, and sent the table flying. Keith was on his feet in a flash, hand on the blade always at his side, and Lance and Coran jumped apart.

Hunk started yelling, as he ran towards the door. “I TOLD you Coran! You jinxed…” he stopped what he was saying as he realised his way was blocked by Pidge, doubled over with laughter.

“Your… faces…” she wheezed out. “Quiznacks Allura. That was great!” The boys stared at Pidge silently, the messy hair and dopey faces making it so much funnier. They didn’t look amused.  
“Don't blame me!” she said defensively. She pointed behind them to the Princess.

They all turned around, except Keith. He took a step closer to Pidge, and reached out to quickly clasp her hand behind Hunks back. He quickly gave her hand a squeeze before he had to let go again.

“It was a training exercise” Allura explained, trying to keep the laughter at bay. “Paladins must be alert at all times!”  
“Now YOU’RE going to jinx us!” complained Hunk, “Either we’re going to get attacked very soon, OR if you keep saying there’s an attack and there isn’t, when there is, we won't listen to you! Classic case of the boy who cried wolf!”  
“There’s a high chance we are going to come across trouble very soon anyway, Hunk” Pidge said  
“Will everyone just stop!” Hunk replied.  
“Why is the boy crying wolves?” asked Coran, concerned, “And what does that have to do with the Galra attacking?”  
Hunk started telling the story to Coran, while the others separated, packing up their bedding, and putting the room back into order. Shiro and Keith started moving the furniture back, and Allura and Pidge stepped through to the kitchen.

“You two are so cute!” Allura said, nudging Pidge.  
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Princess” blushed Pidge, she hid herself in the fridge as she grabbed some breakfast things out.

“I saw you, I was looking right at you! If you want to keep it a secret, you’re going to have to work harder.” she said.  
“Keep what secret?!?!” said Hunk, as he barged into the room.  
“Quiznack!” Pidge said, dropping a jug of milk.  
“Oh, how unfortunate!” Allura said, “Pidge has been working very hard on a surprise, you wouldn’t to ruin it, would you?” she asked Hunk. Pidge glared at Allura, while cleaning up the milk, now Hunk would be expecting something.  
“Oh, awesome!” Hunk looked excited, she had better get to work. “I wonder what it is.” he started musing, talking to himself, as he started pooling ingredients together to cook breakfast. 

Pidge loved Hunk. He was her best friend out here. Her last tie to Earth, now that Lance had gone weird. She loved how he was a big, clumsy goofball, that had a huge heart, but he was also one of the smartest and creative people she knew. It was astounding how he could take the weirdest ingredients that they found while travelling through space, and make them into something that resembles edible food with little effort. He could always see things others couldn’t, and there were so many times the team would have been in ruins if he hadn’t used his unique way of figuring things out. She decided she would make the surprise for him as she sat down to watch.

Keith, Shiro and Coran walked in, finally finished putting the furniture back. Coran was now wearing Lances footsie pyjamas. Pidge looked at him questioningly. “Don’t ask.” Shiro said as he sat next to Pidge. Pidge watched as Keith walked to the other side of the room to talk to Allura, and Coran stepped up to help Hunk. Pidge enjoyed the fact that Shiro wasn’t big on small talk, they sat in comfortable silence for a while, watching Coran make a mess while Hunk cooked, with Pidge taking quick glances at Allura and Keith. All of a sudden Allura burst out laughing, and Pidge looked towards her suspiciously. She saw that Allura was looking behind her, and turned to see Lance, wearing cut off jeans, with his shirt tied up into a crop top. In his hands he held a large jug filled with warm milk.

“What are you doing?” asked Allura, “What have you done to your clothes?”  
Lance shimmied up behind Pidge, “My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard…” he started singing “And they’re like, it's better than yours”  
“Back off Lance…” Pidge snarled. Lance moved on to Shiro.  
“Damn right, they’re better than yours. I can teach you but I have to charge!” he began spinning, and shimmying around the room, as he continued to sing his song.  
Soon Coran joined in dancing, and the whole room was laughing.  
“Thanks for the milk, Lance,” Hunk laughed, “Pidge spilled most of ours. I barely have enough to finish.” he took the jug off of Lance, and started mixing it into the ingredients he already had in a bowl.

“Well, we couldn’t have that now, could we?” Lance said, sliding up next to Pidge and sitting down.  
“Can’t you just be normal for once?” Pidge asked Lance.  
“Now where’s the fun in that?” he replied, “Plus, normal hasn’t gotten me anywhere before, so why not be the centre of attention?” he added quietly, looking down.

Pidge thought back to Garrison days, when Lance was the normal boy. He sat quietly in class, trying his best with the classwork given to him, he always put so much effort in to be the best pilot possible, but he was just your run of the mill cargo pilot. He often asked why Keith couldn’t remember him, remember the rivalry they had, but Pidge knew that Lance knew why. It was because Lance hadn’t been noticeable. He had been ordinary, and ordinary made you invisible at the Garrison. When Keith got kicked out, and Lance had stepped up to fighter class, it was like he had gotten a personality transplant.  
“That’s why you’re like this? The Garrison?” she asked quietly, “You know Hunk and I liked you, just the way you were, and I’m sure everyone here would get on great with that Lance” she added, trying to look into his eyes.  
“Yeah, well maybe that wasn’t enough…” he said, as he got up, grabbed a plate of food, and sulked out of the room.


	8. Spoiler Alert! (just the name of the chapter, not actual spoilers)

Chapter 8 - Spoiler Alert!  
Pidge couldn’t help but feel unsettled by what Lance had said. She had tried to be friendly all day, and only snapped at him once, but Lance still seemed down. The team needed to do something to make him feel valued. Remind him how much fun he used to have with her and Hunk.

She pushed it from her mind as she made her way to Green. It had been a long day, and all she wanted was to curl up and watch a movie. She was also hoping someone else had had the same idea. 

She got to the hangar, and was surprised by Keith creeping out of the shadows.  
She laughed and took his hand. “Why didn’t you just go in?” she asked.  
“I didn’t want to intrude.” he shrugged, and pulled her into his side.  
“I literally told you last night to do exactly that. It would stop sneaking around, and hiding in shadows.” she rolled her eyes, but cuddled into him as they made their way into the Lion.  
“I know, but this is all new, and I don’t know… I felt awkward going into your space. I’ll get used to it, I guess.”  
Pidge had left his arms to get her laptop, and he stood in the middle of the room awkwardly.  
“SIT” she exclaimed, walking back into the room, and sitting down herself. “I know you’re not really used to this, but you gotta ease up!” she said, pulling him down to sit next to her. “I’m Pidge. I lounge, I sprawl, I sometimes get a little untidy, and I AM going to rub off on you.” she moved herself to be sitting on his lap. He wrapped his arms around her, and she could instantly feel his body relax.  
“Do you have a preference for what we watch tonight?” she asked.  
“Uh… nah?” he said, making it seem like a question. “Preferably something with a plot I can follow?”  
“I’ve got something perfect!” she said, as she clicked on Fight Club.

*****

Meanwhile, in another part of the Castle, Lance was moping around the deck, sighing loudly as Coran and Allura were trying to figure something out.  
“Coran, can you get the thing, from that place?” she said, nodding her head in the direction of the door. It took him a second before he realised what the Princess was hinting at.  
“Oh yes, Princess, I’ll go get the thing, and on my way back I’ll stop by the whosit, and do the whatsit!” and he ran off.  
“SIGH!” said Lance again, as he draped himself dramatically onto the table Allura was working on.  
“Is something the matter Lance?” she asked  
“Oh, it’s nothing!” he sighed again, as he slid to the floor.  
She sat down beside him. “It’s got to be something,” she said, “you’ve been in a terrible mood all day! You wouldn’t even smile when the other Palidins tried to cheer you up!”  
“They weren’t really trying,” he said, “they were only feeling sorry for me! They don’t care that I’m lonely!”  
“What makes you say that?” she prompted.  
“Well, my two best buds are off having fun without me!” he said, “And Hunk is off in his room, being all love sick about Shay!”  
“Don’t you think he might be lonely too?” Allura asked, “He’s not only missing Shay, but he has a large family that he misses too…”  
“It’s not the same…” he sulked, “He has someone he loves, and he knows they love him too… I’m lonely because I have no one that loves me… that’s why me and Keith got on so well!”, Allura was surprised at the mention of Keith.  
“Do you love someone though, Lance?” Allura pushed him.  
“NO!” he said, “I don’t know? I think I just miss them. Why can’t they just stop excluding me, and we can all just go back to being buds!” he wrapped his arms around his head, and leaned into his knees.  
Allura patted him on the back, for once, not knowing whether he was talking about Pidge or Keith.   
“Have you told them how you feel?” she asked, “They may not be aware that you are feeling left out, and I’m sure they aren’t doing it on purpose…” she lied, “I know that both Pidge and Keith hold you very dearly, even if they don’t show it sometimes, and would be happy to spend some time with you, if you tell them how you are feeling. Pidge tried very hard today to make you feel included, and you brushed her off…”  
“You’re right, Allura, I should apologise, and tell her how I feel.” said Lance, “Do you know where she is?”  
“I have a feeling she’s in her lion” Allura answered, “but she may not be alone…”  
Lance’s face fell at that, “That’s okay,” he replied, “I need to speak to Keith too…”  
And with that, he walked away, leaving Allura very confused.

*****

Keith was actually getting really into Fight Club. ‘Figures!’ thought Pidge. She couldn’t wait until they got to the end. She smirked evilly.

“Ah, guys, sorry to, er, interrupt?” Allura came over the sound system, “But you’ve got Lance incoming, he will probably be there in a few minutes. I think you really need to let him in, and listen to him. He needs you right now… Er, sorry, again?” she said, and cut herself off.

Pidge paused the movie, stood up, and raised her eyebrow at Keith.  
“I got no idea,” he said, “he was off today, but he never talks to me about anything important.” he shrugged, and readjusted himself on the couch.

Pidge walked into the cockpit, and saw that Lance, was in fact, coming. She watched on the monitor as he seemed to be in an argument with himself, walking determinedly towards the lion, then spinning around and walking the other way, only to come back again. He did this for the third time, before Pidge put the force field down, and lowered the lions head. Lance stopped short, looking confused, before he seemed to make a decision, and stomped his way into the lion.

Both Keith and Pidge watched with raised eyebrows, as Lance huffed in, and sat down in the middle of the couch.  
“We watching a movie, or not!” was all he said.  
“Ah, sure,” said Pidge, “But is there something else you needed, Lance?” she asked.  
“Nope!” he said, “Now, press play! I love Fight Club, who ever saw that ending coming, seriously?”  
“Spoiler alert! Just sit there, and shut up!” said Pidge, sitting on the only available end, “Keith hasn’t seen it, so no spoilers!”  
“Okay, Pidgey,” he said, leaning back into Keith, and laying his legs over Pidges, “My lips are good for many things, but ruining movies is not one of them!”


	9. Yin and Yang

Chapter 9 - Yin and Yang

Pidge watched the end of the movie in silence, and didn’t even enjoy the fact that Keith was so confused by the ending. She wasn’t happy with the way Lance leaned into Keith, and Keith just let him do it. She wanted so desperately to tell Lance to leave, but he didn't know about them, and she knew he was going through something, and Allura said he needed them. She just wished he didn’t need them right now, and if he did need something from them, that he would just say it, instead of laying in Keiths arms, when she was supposed to be the one laying there. She felt jealousy, but she also felt something else. She also, kind of, thought that she could be comfortable in Lances arms, all three of them snuggling up to watch the movie. She shook that idea out of her head, put on another movie, and curled herself into a ball at her end of the couch, while Keith made apologetic eyes at her from his.  
Pidge didn’t know when Lance decided it was a good idea to stay, but he’d rolled himself up in a ball, and fallen asleep curled up into Keith, halfway through Wyrmwood, and no matter what they did, Keith and Pidge couldn't wake him.   
Somehow they had managed to prop him up enough, so that Keith could wiggle his way out. They then snuggled into the other end of the couch, and Pidge had fallen asleep on Keith’s chest.  
Now though, as she blinked herself awake, Pidge realised they were in a tangled mess. At some point in the night, Lance must have woken up, and had somehow worked himself between Pidge and the back of the couch, so they were both, kind of, laying on Keith, and Lance had an arm, and a leg sprawled over both of them.  
Her first thought was ‘How the hell are we not all on the floor?’, and her second one was ‘Shit, I actually kinda like this.’  
Keith kissed the top of her head. She hadn’t realised he was awake. “Can you move?” he whispered, “because I’m kinda stuck… not that I’m not enjoying this,” he added, “but it might be nice to have feeling return to my body…”  
She gently took Lance’s arm off her, and shuffled out from under his leg. She sat up, and looked down at the boys, suddenly missing being enveloped by both of them.  
“What in the quiznacks is going on?” she said softly, more to herself.  
“I don’t know?” replied Keith, “I’m just as confused as you are…”  
“But didn’t it feel so nice?” mumbled Lance, still unconscious, curling into Keith.  
“I’m going to deal with this later!” Pidge said, and ran off, although she didn’t know exactly who, or what, she was angry at.

*****

Lance woke with a start, to see Pidge storming off, and Keith laying somewhat under him, but definitely not on the same end of the couch he had fallen asleep on.  
“What’s going on?” he asked groggily.  
“I don’t know,” snapped Keith, “You were the one who climbed on top of us in his sleep!”  
“You know I have no control over what I do in my sleep, Keith, I’ve kicked you out of bed so many times!”  
“Just get off me, Lance, I can’t breathe!”  
Lance rolled off Keith, and Keith sat up.  
“If you can’t control yourself, maybe you should have gone back to your room before you fell asleep. Did you ever think of that, Lance?” asked Keith.  
“I’m sorry.” he said, sitting up beside him, and Keith watched as he seemed to shrink in size.  
“Hey, it’s okay.” Keith said, his face softening, and throwing an arm around him, “I just think you surprised Pidge. She’s not used to being so close to you, and she gets cranky in the mornings, especially when she’s been squished, that's all…” and he stood up  
Lance wasn’t convinced, but he let Keith pull him up, and they both went and had breakfast.

 

*****

Pidge avoided the boys, as best she could, for the rest of the day. She hid in her workroom, tinkering away, working on that surprise for Hunk, and going over everything in her head.  
She was angry at Allura, for putting any thoughts of Lance in her head.  
She was angry at Lance, for just letting himself saunter in, interrupt their night, and make himself comfortable. And not going away.  
She was angry at Keith, for letting Lance do whatever the hell he wanted, and comfortably taking him into his arms, like, what the quiznacks was that even? How the hell was she supposed to feel in his arms, when he, apparently, let anyone lay there?  
She was even angry at Hunk, Coran, and Shiro, even though she didn’t know why.  
But mostly, she was angry at herself for getting so worked up and angry, for letting Lance weasel himself between her and Keith, and more importantly, for letting him weasel himself into her thoughts.  
Now when she thought of Keith, his arms, his hair, his soft lips, she also thought of Lance, and wondered what he felt like. She thought of how Keith was so quiet, and contained, and so aware of himself, and how Lance was so loud, and explosive, and so at ease with himself. They were like Yin and Yang. She also thought of their similarities. Their insecurities, their kindness and gentleness, their fierce sense of protectiveness and honour.  
“Holy quiznack!” she yelled, as she slipped and burnt herself, as she wasn’t concentrating. She now realised someone was at the door.  
“Katie, are you alright?” Keith sighed. “Can you let me in? Or at least come and eat some breakfast?”  
“Breakfast?” she questioned, opening the door.  
“You’ve been in here all day, and now most of the night.” He said, looking hurt, and not approaching her. “It’s almost been 20 hours since you stormed off.”  
“And you’ve been outside the door for how long?” she asked.  
“Since the other Paladins went to bed…” he said, looking down at the floor, “Look, I’m really sorry about what happened, I should have told him to go…”  
“No, it’s okay” she replied, “I’m not really angry at you… I could have asked him to go too… And I’m not angry at him, he didn’t know we were together…”  
“Was it the way I held him?” he said, rubbing his elbow, “I’m sorry, that’s just normal for us, and I didn’t think anything of it until it was already happening, and then I couldn’t just kick him off. He’s been so down lately, I couldn’t do that to him.”  
“Yes… and no?” she replied, “Wait, that was normal for you?”  
“Yeah…” he replied. “That’s why everyone was so convinced we were together, but we weren’t. We are just really comfortable around each other. He trusts me.”  
She gave him a puzzled look, maybe there was more to Lance than she realized, but then shrugged it off. “Look, all of this is new, and we’ve got to work on how this is all going to fit. Lance is obviously special to you. I once had that with Lance, and I’ve been missing the Lance that I used to know, so much, that I’ve kind of rejected the new Lance, and I think that’s really hurt him. So I need to build on that relationship, especially if it’s important to you.” she looked up at Keith, and she saw the hint of a smile on his face. “But we also need to work on us too…” she continued, “That means time, by ourselves.” she said, and snuggled into him. “So.” she concluded, “I think that means we need to spend extra time with Lance, both all together, and separately, so that when we want time to ourselves, he won’t feel so left out?”  
“Look at you, my little brain, considering other people's feelings, you’re going soft!” he niggled.  
“Don’t get used to it!” she jabbed back, and kissed him.  
“I missed that…” he smiled, as they parted.  
“We better do it again then…” she said, as her stomach growled.  
Keith just laughed at her, took her hand, and led her to the kitchen.


	10. Earthlings: A Study

Chapter 10 - Earthlings: A Study.

Keith and Pidge were happily munching on some breakfast, when Lance walked in.  
“Oh” he said, looking hurt, and began to walk out.  
“Where are you going, Lance?” Pidge asked, with a big smile, “Come, sit, eat with us!”  
“Really?” he asked, “yesterday you didn’t want me around, and today you want to eat breakfast with me?”  
“Did I actually say that Lance?” she asked.  
“No, but you taking off like that, and then disappearing all day sure did” he spat back.  
“That was nothing to do with you, really…” she lied, her face softening, “I just get cranky in the morning, and I had a lot to do, I’m trying to build this thing for Hunk, and you know how I get when I’m focused!”  
“I had to drag her away to eat!” added Keith, “You know how she gets when she doesn’t eat, but she’s got a full tum now, so we’re all safe!” he laughed.  
“You mean, whenever Pidge is in a snappy mood, I just need to feed her?” asked Lance, coming to sit down.  
“Never after midnight,” she laughed, “also no bright lights, and keep me away from water!”  
Lance and Pidge both laughed, and Keith sat there looking confused.

*****

Allura came in, and found the three Paladins sitting around, eating and laughing, and couldn’t help but smile.  
“Oh, hey, good morning Princess!” said Lance, with the biggest smile Allura had seen the red paladin wearing in a long time.  
“Good morning Lance. Keith, Pidge,” she replied, “It’s nice to see you today Pidge, we missed your presence yesterday.”  
“Oh, yeah, sorry Allura, I was busy working on that surprise for Hunk.” she replied.  
“I can’t wait to see it when its finished.” Allura smiled.

She got herself some goo, and went and sat opposite the Paladins. She watched them carefully as she ate. Earthlings really were an interesting species to watch. The dynamics and relationships between them were something of a wonder to Allura. While it was true that Alteans felt love, their relationships, other than those built with their families, were built to progress, and better one's life. Their partnerships were made from practicality, each one benefiting mutually. Even her relationships with Coran and the other Paladins had been to benefit the Voltron cause. It was only now that she was learning to make relationships based on similar interests, and learning to have fun. She was really coming to have affection for these Earthlings, and she was learning so much from them. She would not be the leader she was today without them.

She watched as Pidge wiped milk off Lance's nose. The dynamics in these three Paladins seemed to have changed so much in the last couple of days, she thought to herself. Firstly, Pidge and Lance were fighting all the time, and didn't want anything to do with each other, then Pidges mood shifted, which Allura now knew was to do with Keith. At the same time, Lance's mood fell dramatically, and Allura was still unsure of the exact reason behind that, although she knew he was lonely, but she could not decide if it was to do with Pidge, or Keith. Lance had been quite upset last night. Now they all seemed to be getting on, better than usual. Lance was smiling, and Pidge was interacting nicely with Lance under her own free will. Keith just looked happy that they were getting along.

“You all look so happy together! I'm so happy for you all!” she said, as she stood, and left the room, leaving the paladins frozen in confusion.


	11. Are you talking to me, or the cow?

Chapter 11 - Are you talking to me, or the cow?

Keith had been confused these last few days, more than what was usual, which was a LOT.  
Other people confused him, and he often found himself having to process HOW he should act, before he did, which often left him saying stupid things, or reacting behind the rest. Things with Katie had been going so fast, and while he was enjoying it, so much, he also felt that he was scrambling to keep up, he wanted to be with her, all the time, but at the same time, he was trying so hard not to do anything wrong. The only time out here he could act without thinking was in the training room, so that's where he headed now.  
He removed his shirt, and centred himself on the floor, breathing in, breathing out. He began moving slowly, inhale, hands above his head, hold, exhale, bending down to touch the ground, hold, inhale, downward dog, exhale, plank, inhale, cobra. He began to lose himself in the rhythm of his breathing, his body finding the familiar path of this calming routine, moving from yoga, to the kata, and soon he was moving across the floor fluidly, almost as if he was dancing.  
He finished his routine in child's pose, and then sat up on his knees to meditate.  
He really did want to feel more at ease with Katie. He was always just so tense, trying not to do anything wrong. He liked it best when they were still. Laying in each other's arms, watching a movie, playing video games. There was no pressure. He could just be there, with her. He knew that she would tell him that there was nothing to worry about, but everytime he spoke, everytime he did something, he worried that it would be taken wrong.  
Yesterday had been hell for him. He had spent all day going over everything in his head, what he did wrong, what he could have done different, how he shouldn’t have let Lance sit with him, HOW Lance sat with him, how he shouldn’t have let him stay. But on the other hand, he was worried about Lance, and did his best to make sure that he was okay, without letting him know that he, himself, was hurting.  
He never even knocked, he just sat by her door, needing to be near her, but too scared to talk to her, until she yelped out in pain, and he couldn’t help himself.  
Lance was always telling him that he needed to relax, and stop worrying so much. People loved him, and would better understand the way his brain works, if he would just open up, and let them in. Lance was the only one that understood him, and it had taken him a long time to get to that point. He was trying to open up to Katie, he just didn't know how. He was worried about scaring her off.  
He could feel his head reeling, and his breathing become more difficult. He had came to the training room to stop this from happening, and yet, here he was.  
Before he even processed anything himself, arms were around him, tucking him into a ball.  
“Hey! Hey now, breathe buddy, breathe… what’s going on?” he hadn’t even noticed Lance come in, but of course he was there. He was always there.  
He didn’t speak, he just let Lance talk to him, and hold him until his breathing returned to normal.  
“Kaltenecker?” which was Lance’s way of suggesting they go fo a walk.  
“Yeah, okay…” replied Keith, and let Lance help him up. 

*****

Lance could remember the first time he found Keith like this, there were a lot of almosts that night. He had wanted milk, because he couldn’t sleep. He tossed and turned, and almost decided to wait it out. He tossed and turned for a bit longer, and decided to get up. He walked to the kitchen, got himself a glass, and almost went back to his room, but he decided to wander. He had been walking around the castle, when he heard a noise in one of the storage closets. He assumed it must be the space mice, so almost walked on, when he heard a crash from inside. He opened the door, and found that Keith had thrown the contents of the room on the floor, and was now huddling in the corner, taking gasping breaths.  
“Get… away… from... me!” he gasped.  
Lance almost turned around and left, but then Keith gave a gut wrenching sob.  
Lance sat by him, almost taking him into his arms, and just chatted to him about anything and everything, until his sobs got quieter, and his breathing eased.  
Keith had been angry at him the next day, but Lance didn’t mind. He never found out about what happened that night, but he found himself spending more time with Keith, and checking in on him. In the early days, he often found him alone, and on the verge of an attack, so he would sit with him, calm him down.

Lance started telling Keith about how hard he was finding it, how he missed his family, how alone he felt, and that he really appreciated Keith being around, that it was helpful knowing someone else wasn’t having the greatest time out here in space.   
Once he started, he couldn’t stop. He started sobbing, and this time Keith took him in his arms, holding him for as long as Lance needed him. 

Things changed that day. Keith started opening up to Lance too. Soon enough, they were seeking each other out. Keith needed Lance as much as Lance needed him. He found comfort in matching his breaths to Keiths, peace in the vibrations on his chest or back as Keith spoke. He instantly felt more relaxed when he was with Keith. And Keith became more relaxed when he was with Lance. They became more aware of each other, and could tell when each of them needed comfort. They spent many days, just hanging out, and many nights holding each other. Lance knew that when Keith came and sat close, he needed to be calmed, and it was the same for Lance. It became second nature to the two, thats why Keith hadn’t thought twice about talking Lance in his arms two nights ago. He knew he needed it.

*****

Keith leaned against the wooden pailings, and watched as Lance gently milked Kaltenecker.   
Lance just let him stand there quietly, talking to the cow, and didn’t push him. That was Keith's favourite thing about Lance, for even though the boy was loud and outgoing, he didn’t feel the need to fill every silence with sound. But this silence was heavy with unsaid words. Keith didn’t want to talk about what had just happened, so Keith decided to talk about Lance’s favourite subject: Lance.  
“I haven’t spent much time with you lately, and I’m sorry about that,” said Keith.  
“Are you talking to me, or the cow?” said Lance, grinning.  
“Both? I guess?” laughed Keith  
“It’s alright…” said Lance, going quiet, “You’ve been making friends with Pidge. You should branch out… you don’t want to be stuck with me forever…”  
“Too bad, because you're going to be stuck with me, you big loser. Just because I’m spending more time with Ka… Pidge, doesn’t mean I don’t want to spend time with you. People can have more than two friends.”  
“I guess you’re right…” he agreed, “It’s just, you and Pidge have been off playing video games and whatever, and hanging with Hunk just isn’t the same, we don’t like the same things, and he’s always talking about Shay. And Coran, Allura and Shiro are just so boring. I find myself alone a lot. And you know I don’t do well with alone.”  
Keith stepped away from the fence, stood behind Lance, and looped his arms around his friends neck.  
“See, thats where Pidge and I have been thinking, why don't we, all three of us, spend some time together. You and Pidge can be friends again, like you were in the Garrison, and I get to spend some time with the two people that are most important to me?” Keith suggested. And maybe you can help me relax a little around Katie, he added, to himself.  
“Pidge really wants to spend time with me? Willingly? Without someone forcing her?” Lance said, disbelievingly.  
“It was her idea!” confessed Keith  
“I don’t know?” questioned Lance.  
“Will you stop making rivalries up with everyone! Did you have fun this morning? Can’t you just let her prove to you that she actually wants to spend time with you?”  
“Sure… okay…” he said.  
“Good! Because we are doing movies again tonight in Green.” he said, “But Lance?” he added. “Going back to our own beds tonight, okay?”  
“Okay,” he agreed, as he stood up, and picked up the bucket of milk. He rubbed Kaltenecker on the neck “You really are beautiful, you know that?” he cooed.  
“Are you talking to me, or the cow?” grinned Keith.  
“Both...” shrugged Lance, and he walked away.


	12. Chapter 12 - The Rise and Fall of Pidge Gunderson - also a nod to Wonder Woman ;)

Chapter 12 - The Rise and Fall of Pidge Gunderson - also a nod to Wonder Woman ;)

Pidge was busy working away, when the door to her workshop opened. Keith stepped in, and Pidge couldn’t help but grin.  
“Just what I needed, more hands! Here, hold this while I screw it together!” she said. Keith came and sat by her, taking the machine in his hands. “I would normally have Hunk in here helping me, but, obviously I can’t.” she began rambling at Pidge speed. It was funny, Keith thought, there was either quiet Pidge, or a million words a minute Pidge, there was really no in between.  
“He wanted to come in this morning, and I had to tell him to go away. I don’t think he was very upset though, because he just wants this surprise. He doesn’t even know it's for him. Honestly, it IS for everyone, but, mostly for him. He deserves this.”  
“What IS this?” Keith asked, staring down at the machine with all these attachments and spouts coming off of it.  
“It’s basically Hunk 2.0. It does a variety of kitchen things, so it will help him out, a lot. It slices, it dices, it mixes, this here is a pasta maker” she said pointing to a couple of rollers, “It can heat, it can cool, and this, which is honestly the best part…” she lifted part of the machine to show an insulated section, with a churner inside, “ICE CREAM!” she said with a kind of grin that made Keith think ice cream may be a bad idea.  
“Maybe you need to take a break? You’re worrying me a little…” Keith chuckled.  
“Sure I need a break… An ice cream break!” she jumped up excitedly. “I don’t think you understand how much I miss proper ice cream! Has Lance milked Kaltenecker? Coz this baby is ready to go!”  
“Is this for Hunk, or you?” Keith laughed, then stopped, “Wait, it’s done?” he asked, amazed.  
“Sure is! It took me way longer than if we were on Earth, I had to improvise, a lot, but it’s finally done!”  
Keith stared at her for a second in amazement. “Okay, we should go gather everyone in the kitchen, then I’ll come back and get it, okay?” Keith suggested. “But one more thing before you go…” he said.  
She practically flew at him, and reached up on her tippy toes to kiss him.  
“That was lovely,” he said, “but I actually just wanted to tell you, before we see him, that I asked Lance to come over again tonight,” her face screwed up, “but I told him we are all going back to our own beds, so I’ll walk him back to his room, then loop back to you…” he grinned, and kissed her.

***** 

They separated, and went and found all the other Paladins, Allura and Coran.  
They all waited in the kitchen while Keith went to retrieve the machine, Pidge bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet.  
“This surprise is either going to be very cool, or very evil…” said Hunk, eying Pidge from across the counter.  
“Don’t you trust me?” cackled Pidge.  
“Definitely not!” said everyone in unison.  
“Maybe they don’t deserve this then?” said Keith from the door, awkwardly holding the large machine under a spare blanket.  
“Definitely not!” said Pidge, “We’ll have to take it back to the workroom, and keep it to ourselves!” she said, and Keith started to turn around.  
“We want the surprise!” said Hunk, with puppy dog eyes.  
“Apologise to Pidge!” laughed Keith.  
“Sorry Pidge!” they all said in a sing-song voice.  
“That’s better!” he brought the machine over, and placed it in front of Hunk.  
“Go on!” said Pidge to Hunk, “It’s mostly for you, after all.”  
“For me?” he asked.  
“Yep, you deserve it” she grinned  
Hunk lifted the blanket, “Ah, thanks Pidge!” he said, as he checked all the attachments, not needing any explanations. “This is going to be so much help, I’m going to make such a feast tonight. Look, pasta!” he said excitedly.  
“And now, for the best bit!” Pidge said, lifting the lid, “Lance, can you get the milk out of the fridge, and those weird berries we found on that forest planet the other day. Allura, can you get that sweet flower pollen out of the cupboard.” Hunk gave her a look of excited anticipation.  
“No?!” he asked.  
“Oh yeah!” she said.  
“What is it?” asked Shiro.  
“Ice cream!” they said together.  
“What is Eye Scream?” asked Allura.  
“You will just have to wait and see, Princess.” replied Pidge.

*****

Keith stood back, and watched everyone else. Lance added the milk, while Pidge added the pollen, and finally Hunk added the berries, all while Allura and Coran hovered very close, watching every move carefully.  
Shiro came and stood next to Keith.  
“So, ah, you and Katie then?” he asked quietly.  
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Keith replied.  
“I’ve known Katie a long time, Keith, and I’ve known you way longer. I can see the change in the both of you,” he said, “I’m happy for you. Just be careful, I don’t want any bodies feelings getting hurt, the sooner you tell everyone else, the better.” he said, and walked away. He was truly a man of few words.  
So that was it. Allura knew, and she was fine. Shiro knew, and he was fine. There really was no reason not to tell everyone. But, still, Keith wanted to keep it from the others a little longer, he thought, looking over at Hunk and Lance. Private conversations were in order. It was definitely not something he just wanted announced.

*****

45 minutes later, and they were serving up freshly made ice cream. Keith was glad Pidge had used her super brain to make the process a lot shorter than it would normally be. He didn’t know how much longer he could have sat in a room with 5 of his teammates just staring intensely at a machine, without talking. He had never seen Coran or Lance sit so silently still for so long, and Allura and Coran didn’t even know what they were waiting for. It was unsettling. Shiro had sat there in a brooding silence, and, to think, everyone called Keith the emo.

“Eye Scream is wonderful. You should be very proud of this achievement!” said Allura. “It’s like a milkshake you can eat with a spoon!”  
“It's very cold!” said Coran, fingers digging into his temples. Lance had warned him to take small spoonfuls, but he hadn’t listened, and had eaten it in two big bites.  
Lance, Keith, Pidge, and even Shiro took tiny spoonfuls, making the most of this much loved dessert, savouring every mouthful, as if it was going to be their last. Pidge was using her legs to slowly spin her chair, a look of pure ecstasy on her face.  
“You know, I can literally make this all the time now, you don’t have to be so conservative.” Hunk said.  
“No! Please eat it slowly!” cried Keith. “This is a sometimes food, Pidge doesn’t need any more sugar!”  
Pidge just stuck out her tongue, and spun faster, and faster. Keith could see what was going to happen a split second before, and managed to get out a “Be careful!” just as Pidge, and the chair, went toppling over.  
“Come on Pidgey…” Lance said, helping her up, “You’ve had an exciting few days, you’ve been working hard, so you’ve barely slept, and haven’t been eating properly, how’s about we get you to bed for a nap?” Everyone was watching the quiet exchange between the two. Keith felt guilty, he should be the one picking up on these things, the one picking her up from the floor. Pidge made a grumpy face, but leant into Lance “And then I’ll help Hunk, and then when you get up, we can have our feast, and you’ll be well rested, and won’t fall asleep when we’re watching movies tonight, okay?”  
“Spose…” Pidge mumbled, and let Lance walk her out the door, with everyone watching, and Keith wanting to follow.


	13. Chapter 13 - Purple Pasta Eater

Chapter 13 - Purple Pasta Eater

Pidge had slept for 3 hours, which surprised her, but she definitely felt better, so she must have really needed it.  
Hunk had swept her up in a big bear hug the moment she walked back into the room, and began excitedly telling her about what they had made, and what they planned to make.  
Pidge looked at the array of food in front of them on the table. It was a beautiful spread of space versions of Italian food. Hunk and Lance must have worked so hard to pull this together in three hours, and it was amazing what they had done with the ingredients they had. It may have been purple, because of the purple flour substitute Hank had used, but it all looked delicious.  
There were several types of pasta dishes, pizza, bread, different types of pastries, and on the bench behind them, different types of cakes and biscuits.  
“You’re amazing Hunk!” she said.  
“No, you are, Pidge.” he replied  
“I’m also amazing!” said Lance.  
“You’re all amazing.” Shiro said as he shook his head, “Can we eat now?”  
They all took their seats, and ate, and talked, until their stomachs were satisfied, and their hearts were full.

*****

Pidge looked around her, and realised how much she loved this little family of hers. At times like this, when there was no threats on their doorsteps, and they actually had peace for a few days, she could imagine them being back on Earth, and wondered if, when this was all over, they would be as close as they were now.   
Before becoming a Paladin, she had already known Lance and Hunk, and there had been a time when they had been fairly close, but that had changed. She had seen Keith and Shiro around, but didn’t know them, then Keith had been kicked out of the garrison, and Shiro had disappeared on a mission with her Dad and Matt, and of course, Allura and Coran were in a deep sleep on another planet, in an entirely different galaxy. Being Paladin of the Green Lion was hard sometimes, but it had brought her so much. She wouldn’t know these people as well as she did, or at all, if not for being on the roof that night Shiro crashed back to Earth.  
Now, Hunk was sitting next to her, discussing Earth food and cooking with Coran at one end of the table, Shiro and Allura were deep in conversation at the other end, and Keith and Lance were sitting across from her, joking about something Pidge didn’t understand. As if they felt her eyes on them, both boys turned to look at her in unison, with big smiles on their faces. Lance shot finger guns at her, and she stuck her tongue out at him, in a friendly way. Keith had a momentary look of confusion, looking between the two, then broke out in an even wider grin.

“Enjoy your nap, Pidgey?” asked Lance, and Keith waited for the snap back.  
“Sure did, Lancey Lance,” she replied, “I needed it, thank you.” she smiled, “I really need to keep you two around, or I would never eat or sleep!”  
“We only do it because we don’t want to deal with the consequences of a cranky Pidge!” Lance laughed.  
“Whatever the reasons, keep it up!” she laughed back.  
“You’ll never get rid of us!” Keith said, giving her a grin that made her melt.  
Pidge blushed, and the boys just laughed.

*****

Their movie night turned from a party of 3, to a party of 7, but everyone was in such great moods, so neither Lance, Keith, nor Pidge really minded. Coran, Shiro, and Allura took the couch, while the four younger paladins took the floor.   
Pidge sat with Keith on one side, and Lance leaning into Hunk on the other side of her. To start off with, she was very aware of how she sat, and who she touched, not wanting to raise any suspicions, but as the night went on, she decided she was just going to do whatever she wanted. She turned slightly, put her legs over Lances, leant into Keith, and he wrapped an arm around her, and rested his chin on her head.   
As one by one, Allura, Coran, and Shiro left, Lance sat up, and leant back into the couch, spreading his arms behind the other Paladins. Quicker than Pidge could process, Keith scooped her up, shuffled into Lance on his right, and put her on his lap, wrapping his arms around her, and letting Lance drop his arm around his waist. Pidge froze for a second, and looked across to Hunk to gauge his reaction, only to find he was asleep. Even though she was having trouble admitting to herself, she had liked being wrapped up in the boys the other morning, and she had been thinking about it ever since. She decided to give into it, and leant back into Keith's chest. She jumped slightly as Lance's rested his arm across her lap, and put his head on Keith's shoulder, but she could feel how relaxed Keith was behind her, so she closed her eyes, enjoying the embrace, and slowed her breathing to match his. 

*****

When she woke, Keith was carrying her back to her room, Lance chatting along beside him. She hadn't meant to fall asleep, but she had been so warm and comfortable, and Keith's breathing had been so calming, she had felt so safe.  
She didn't say anything to let him know she'd woken up, but she snuggled into his neck, and he squeezed her tighter.  
Lance swiped the sensor to let them in, and Keith put her gently on her bed.   
“Goodnight Katie…” he whispered into her ear, so Lance couldn't hear.  
“Night Super Emo Space Casanova…” she whispered back, not opening her eyes, “Night Lance…” she said louder, and she snuggled under her blankets.   
“Goodnight Pidgey…” he replied, and they walked out of the room, the door sliding shut behind them.


	14. Jinxed

Chapter 14 - Jinxed

They were woken in the middle of the night by the sound of the alarm, and Shiro coming over the sound system.  
“Paladins, we have received a distress signal, I need everyone here, NOW!”  
Everyone was up, dressed in their armour, and in the bridge in no time.  
“I knew this was going to happen!” complained Hunk.  
“It’s been a week,” replied Pidge, “we should be considering ourselves lucky!”  
“Where’s the signal coming from?” asked Keith.  
“As some of you may be aware, we have been travelling back to Arus, so we are in the same system as Balmera X-95-Vox” Shiro said, looking at Hunk. He was a very smart boy, but out here in space, his sense of direction was somewhat lacking. Space looked like space, and he had had no idea where they were. The last planet they had visited had been several galaxies away.  
“Shay?” he said, looking panicked.  
“There have been distress signals coming from a ship orbiting the Balmera.” Coran answered, “All systems seem to be down, and is stuck in orbit. There is a repeating coded message coming from the ship, which seems to be taking the last of its power.”  
“We need to fly out, and gauge the situation.” Allura said. “We are not going in unprepared, We have been caught unaware before. I want everybody in their lions.” She paused, “While we currently have Keith back from the blade, I want Keith to go with Lance in Red, they will be the landing party, and the rest of us will circle the craft until we can assess the situation.” the rest of the crew nodded, and jumped into action.

*****

Red landed on the spacecraft, while the others circled, just as Allura had instructed. From what everyone could see, it looked abandoned, but they had been receiving the distress signal, and they couldn’t just ignore a plea for help.  
Keith and Lance stepped out on the surface, and made their way to the cargo door, which Keith pried open, as Lance covered him.  
“Any signs of life?” asked Allura through the headset.  
“Nothing yet, Princess.” replied Lance.  
“Keep your eyes open, we don’t want to fall into another trap” added Shiro.  
“Be careful!” was all Pidge could say.  
The boys walked sideways, backs against each other, as they made their way through the cargo hold. The door to the main part of the ship opened, and they stepped cautiously into the walkway.   
Lance motioned to Keith that they should split up, and Keith nodded, Lance going left, towards the back of the ship, Keith going right, towards the control room.  
Keith checked the rooms along the way. Most of them seemed to be storage rooms, and all of them were completely empty. He made it to the front, and there was no one there either. It was weird. Books were open, there was a drink on a table near the controls, but nothing was out of place. It didn’t look like they had crashed, or been attacked. There was no disturbance, it was just like everyone had disappeared in a flash of light. He started making his way back to the cargo hold, and Lance, still tense and on edge.  
“I got nothing here, guys,” he said into the helmet, “It’s weird, it seems to be completely empty. You found anything Lance?” he asked.  
“No, nothing…” Lance started, then all of a sudden, Keith started hearing shots.   
He raced towards Lance, and the sound of lasers, throwing away all caution. He could hear voices in his headset, Katie was yelling the loudest, but he had to ignore them. He needed to save Lance. That was his mission. As he neared the end of the corridor, the last door was open, and he could see Lance, shielding himself behind some cargo crates, and shooting across the other side of the room. Keith couldn’t see who or what Lance was shooting at, or how many of them there were, so he put his blade up, and slowly peered around the corner.  
What he saw would make anyone's skin crawl. Standing on its hind legs, and spitting an acidic saliva towards Lance, was one of the biggest, bright blue, spider-like creatures Keith had ever seen.   
Keith could see that, behind the spider, huddled in the corner, a group of Balmerans had created a wall of crates, so the spider could not get to them, yellow eyes peering through the gaps at him. The spider, however, had started spinning a web around the crates, knowing that, eventually, he would get his prey, one way or another.  
The lasers were just bouncing off the spiders skin, and were doing nothing, but making the spider angrier. Keith could see that, while the crates seemed to be safe from the acid, there were little spots burning on Lances armour, where he must have caught some of the spray.  
Keith had to think fast, he needed to get Lance, and the Balmerans out of here, and away from the ship. For now, the spider hadn’t seen him, but he didnt know how long that would last.  
As the spider reared up again, Keith saw that the underside of the spider was softer, and when it reared up, it was left unprotected. As the spider lowered itself, Keith stepped back, readied his blade, and prepared himself to sprint.  
The spider began to raise itself on to its hind legs again, and Keith made his move. He sprinted across the room, and went into a slide, slicing across the spiders abdomen, and landing in a crouch on the other side of the room. The spider let out an awful screech, and collapsed in on itself, but not before shooting one last spray of acid in Keith’s direction, causing his armour to bubble before their eyes.  
“KEITH!” was all he heard, before he blacked out in excruciating pain.

*****

The Balmerans had quickly pushed their wall down, and helped Lance rush Keith back to the cargo hold, where Shiro was already waiting to help him get Keith to his lion.   
Lance sped back to the Castle, and Coran helped him get Keith into a pod. Pidge was there, and she was a mess. Somehow Lance found her hand, and didn’t let go. They both collapsed against the wall near Keith’s pod, staring blankly into space, and slid down into a heap. Lance took Pidge into his arms, and they just held each other, losing themselves to the world around them.

*****

Hunk and Shiro went back to the spacecraft, and helped tow it back down to the Balmera.  
Coran and Allura did what they could to help Keith, but it was up to the pod, and Keith himself, to do the rest.  
Lance and Pidge just sat outside the pod.

*****

Allura landed the Castle, to give everyone a break, and give Keith a chance to heal without disruption.   
Hunk spent a lot of time with Shay, and her family, learning about their culture, and helping to rebuild their colony. Shiro, Allura and Coran spent time doing what they could on planet, while making small political trips to nearby planets, to help build up the coalition.  
Lance and Pidge sat outside of the pod, taking turns to sleep, eating when someone else brought them food, and filling their time talking. As Keith began looking better, they relaxed more, and took turns leaving, to go to bed, or shower. Pidge brought out some of her current projects, and sat in front of the pod working on them, giving Lance some lessons in electronics, while Lance filled his time with sketching, and teaching Pidge Spanish.

*****

They had both fallen asleep, Pidge curled up next to Lance on the floor, when Keith came out of the pod. He wasn’t fully aware, and he was so, so tired, so he decided it was a good idea to join them, just for a little while. He lay down on the floor, wrapping himself around Pidge, and putting his head on Lance’s lap.  
“Dios mio!” Pidge exclaimed, “What are you doing Lance?” she mumbled.  
“Me?” he mumbled back, “I’m not doing anything!” he said opening his eyes. “Keith?” he said, astounded. Keith just chuckled sleepily.  
Pidge tried to sit up, but Keith just held her down.  
“Stay!” he mumbled, “sleep!”, he pulled her closer.  
She felt his chest moving on her back, as he breathed deeply, in and out, and for the first time in a week, she felt calm. She had been sleeping, but it hadn’t been peaceful. She kept waking up to nightmares, with Keith being the underlying theme. The tiredness that she had been fighting finally overtook her, and she easily drifted back to sleep.  
Lance sat there for a while, folding himself over Keith, running his fingers through Keith’s mullet, until he, too fell asleep.  
And that was the way Shiro found them a few hours later, a pile of sleeping Paladins on the floor.   
He chuckled, went and found them some blankets, and made sure everyone knew not to disturb them.


	15. A Well-Oiled Machine

Chapter 15 - A Well-Oiled Machine

The three Paladins barely did anything the next few days. They got up from the floor, stopped by the kitchen for some food, and made it as far as Green before they all collapsed again. Keith was tired from healing, and the others were exhausted from worrying. Their days became filled with eating, sleeping, and lounging around watching movies, until finally, Allura had had enough.  
“The Balmerans were on a scouting mission to find other colonies” she said, one morning over breakfast, “It is unusual for them to ever leave, but the Balmera was treated unkindly when the Galra had control, and they are uncertain how long it will be suitable to live on. We have done what we can, while we have been grounded here, but it is time we move on.”  
“A group of them will accompany us to Arus, and then on to Olkarion, where they should be able to get more information from the coalition.” Added Coran.  
“So,” Shiro said, looking at Coran, “We need a full scan of the ship, as well as the Lions, and the Balmeran ship we’ve taken aboard, to make sure they are all in perfect working order. Hunk, Pidge, you can help with that. Lance and Keith, we need you to check supplies. The 7 of us will only need enough supplies to get us to Arus, where we can get more, but make sure there is enough for the 5 Balmerans to get to Olkarion, and beyond.”  
“And you and Allura?” asked Lance, clearly annoyed at being bossed around, he wanted to stay in bed a few more days.  
“Allura and I have one more diplomatic trip to make down to the surface. It shouldn’t take long, and then we will come back and help with preparations.” Shiro said, and with that, he stood up, and walked out. Allura jumped up and followed, and the rest slowly got up, and headed off to complete their tasks.

*****

Pidge felt… wrong. Her senses seemed dulled. She didn’t like being away from Keith. Or Lance for that matter. She knew she just needed to get over it. There were going to be times when she was going to be away from them, in worse situations than this. At least she knew they were both safe. How dangerous could gathering supplies be? It was a friendly planet, and they had a group of Balmerans with them, including Shay, they will be fine.  
“Pidge!” Hunk said loudly, “I asked you to pass me the spanner!”  
“Oh, sorry Hunk! I’m still so tired” she said, picking it up and passing it to him.  
“How is Shay?” she asked, looking ashamed, “Sorry I didn’t go down to see her, I’ve been a little distracted lately.”  
“She’s doing okay, considering. They have had a lot of rebuilding to do, and they aren’t sure if the Balmera is going to last much longer, so they are all very stressed, and for a civilization that is rather on edge all the time anyway, that's saying something.” he said, checking over the Balmeran ship. They had already scanned the Castle, and the Lions, and they were fine - running like a well-oiled machine, as Coran had said.  
“That’s why some of them are going to look for new colonies to join. Some of them won’t leave, it’s a lot to ask for the older ones, but at least if they can take some of the stress off, the Balmera may heal easier.” he explained, “I’ve told Shay she can stay with us, but she said she needs to be with her people. She’ll only come as far as Olkarion, and then her, and her brother will go with the others, to see what they can find.”  
“Shay’s coming with us to Olkarion?” asked Pidge, “she was part of the party that was on that ship?”  
“No, her brother was, but Rax made her stay behind to help look after her people. But when she found out that the group was going to be travelling with us for a while, she made Rax agree to let her come. There was no way she was being left behind.” he grinned, “So, she gets to spend a little more time with me, at least.”  
“That’s awesome, Hunk, I can’t wait to get to know her!” Pidge said, with a little enthusiasm, “Hopefully we can all be together, and in the air soon!”

*****

The Paladins and Coran finished what they needed to do, and headed down to the surface, to meet with Allura and Shiro, who’s mission had taken a little longer than anticipated.  
They found them with a group of older Balmerans, as well as those that were going to be travelling in the Castle of Lions, standing on an outcrop, not too far from the ship, surrounded by the rest of the colony. As they approached, Shiro placed a hand on Alluras back, and reached out to Coran, who in turn, took Hunks hand. The other Paladins joined the circle, Keith, then Pidge, and finally Lance, with one hand in Pidges, and the other also on Alluras back. Allura knelt down, drawing on their combined energy, concentrating it into the ground. Her breathing got harder and faster, and there was a hum coming from the surrounding Balmerans. The Paladins could feel the energy coming through them, and then, suddenly, it stopped, as Allura crumpled in on herself. Slowly, one of the elder Balmerans helped her up, and thanked her, and the rest of the Paladins, for the transfer of energy. As a crowd, they walked the travellers to the ship, Pidge not letting go of neither Keith’s nor Lance’s hands. Many hugs and well wishes were exchanged, before they all climbed back on board, and prepared for their journey.


	16. Realisations

Chapter 16 - Realisations 

Now that they were all back in the Castle, and near enough by to know that each other were safe, Pidge relaxed again. Her senses came back to normal, and her breathing, which she hadn’t even realised had changed, had slowed.  
Allura managed to get the ship in the air, and set on course, before needing to rest. She refused the healing pod, and went to lay down in her bed.  
The Balmerans, were excited and intrigued by the technology of the ship and the control room, so they stayed there with Shiro and Coran. Coran was in his element, excitedly explaining all the workings of the ship to them, and how his grandfather had built the Castle over 10,600 years ago.

Hunk took Shay to the kitchen, to start cooking dinner, Keith went to have a shower, and Lance went to milk Kaltenecker, so Pidge decided to follow.

*****

Lance sat on the stool, gently milking Kaltenecker, and Pidge closed her eyes, and leant against the fence.  
Lance noticed she had gone quiet. 

“Como estas, Pidgey?” he asked  
“We’ve not done anything but sleep for three days, but I’m still so tired, Lance” she answered  
“En espanol…” she had picked it up so easily, and he didn’t want her forgetting.  
She sighed, “No hemos hecho nada más que dormir por tres dias, pero todavia estoy tan cansado” she repeated, and sat down against the fence. Lance stood up, and went to sit next to her. He continued the conversation in Spanish, putting an arm over her shoulder.

That’s how Keith found them half an hour later. He walked into the barn area of the Castle, and his girlfriend and his best friend were sitting there, quite cosily, conversing in Spanish, not even noticing him. He didn’t know how to feel. He was happy they were getting on so well, but he also felt a stab of jealousy, especially because he had no idea what they were talking about, and they were happy without him.  
“Hunk’s waiting on the milk,” he said, making them both jump, and then he turned around and walked out.

*****

That night at dinner, it was awkward to be around the three Paladins. Pidge sat next to Keith, who was being cold towards her, and Lance sat at the other end of the table, looking quite dejected. Hunk and Coran tried to make light banter, while Shiro and Allura were sharing looks of concern between them. Shay and the other Balmera sat there politely, trying not to make eye contact with anyone.  
Lance stood up, having barely touched his food.  
“I’m going to bed,” he announced, “I’ll see you all later,” and walked out of the room.

*****

The door shut behind Lance as he flopped down on his bed. There was an emptiness in his stomach, and a banging in his chest. He had felt lonely before, but it had seemed amplified lately, even when he was with the others. His mind played a flip show, slow at first, then faster, and faster, until it became a dizzy blur. Keith. Pidge. Keith. Pidge. Keith, Pidge, Keith, Pidge, KeithPidgeKeithPidge…  
He wished he could shut it off. He wished he could figure out what it meant.   
Pidge had been his friend for a long time, but he just thought of her as a little sister. Of course, she was obviously growing up into a powerful young woman, but that didn't change the way he felt right?  
And Keith was just his closest friend, who he spent a lot of time with, and yeah, they had a special bond, and everyone had thought they had been together. But that didn't mean he was gay, right?  
Allura seemed to think he was having feelings for someone, but he would know, right? He was probably just feeling left out.   
And even if he was having feelings, how could he possibly be having feelings for two people at the same time?  
Lance had always thought love was instant. That you would know the first time you saw someone. There would be a spark, and that would be it. He remembered how his papá always spoke about his mamá, and how they met. That's what happened with Hunk and Shay. Wasn't that how it always happened?  
But now as he thought about all the people he loved, and all the examples of love he had seen, the flip show just kept on playing. The emptiness in his stomach turned to fire, and his heart beat faster and faster. 

*****

“Keith, what’s going on?” Shiro asked.  
“Nothing!” Keith snapped back, looking around at everyone, now staring at him.  
“Katie?”  
“I don’t know! Lance and I were milking Kaltenecker, and he was helping me practice my Spanish, that’s all,” she said, turning to Keith, “THAT’S ALL! And then Keith came in, and has been salty ever since. You wanted us to be friends!”  
“I’m sorry…” Keith said, “I’ve just noticed you’ve got way closer, and he’s my best friend, and you’re my girlfriend, and I just got really angry when I saw you together!”  
“I KNEW IT!” yelled Hunk, and both Keith and Pidge blushed.  
“So, I take it you haven’t taken my advice and told the other Paladins?” asked Shiro.  
“We weren’t supposed to know?” asked Coran.  
“I was kind of almost dead, Shiro.”  
“Does Lance know?” he asked, and it seemed to Keith that he was getting angry.  
“Not yet.” Keith replied.  
“Tell him.” he said, got up, and walked out.  
Keith got up, and Pidge stood up to go too.  
“I think I need time to myself,” he told her, “I just need sleep, and I’ll be okay.” he leaned down and kissed her, stiffly, “I’ll see you in the morning.”

*****

He had barely been alone since he came out of the pod, and even before that, unless he was showering, or getting changed. This was an unusual sensation to him, and he wasn’t sure he liked it. His familiar room, with his pictures, and clothes, and belongings. His bed, that used to be his safe space. Everything felt strange to him.   
He lay down in his bed. He was so aware of his own body, and his empty limbs. He didn’t know where to place them. He could hear his heart beating, but he was so used to three beating hearts, that the sound echoed, lonely, around his chest. He closed his eyes, and lay there, trying to calm his breathing, but he had no one to match it to, so it got faster, and faster.  
He got up, and went to find Katie.

*****

Pidge took herself to her workroom, and shut everyone else out. She was so tired, but she knew she wouldn’t be able to sleep without Keith and Lance, so she busied herself putting together an old computer from scraps she had found when she had been stranded on the trash planet. She loved Keith, and if it came down to it, she knew she would ultimately chose him over anything, but it had became hard to separate her thoughts about the boys lately, it was like they were a continuation of the one person. Even when she was alone with one of them, there was always still an echo of the other one there as well. She had spent so much time with both of them lately, that she had began thinking of them as one entity. They barely spent any time apart, they sleep all tangled up. When she was embraced in Keiths arms, she was usually embraced in Lance’s too, which she secretly loved. Even the last few times she had kissed Keith, Lance had been fast asleep right next to them.  
She had thought about this many times, and her head was going around in circles. To love more than one person was frowned upon in most cultures on Earth, although some cultures still practiced poly relationships, and history showed that early humans more than likely lived polyamorous lifestyles. She loved Keith, and Keith loved her. But, it was also very clear to her that Lance meant so much to Keith, even though she wasn’t exactly sure how much. She also found more and more that she was capable of falling for Lance, and she very much liked that idea, if they hadn’t already messed everything up.


	17. Thinking

Chapter 17 - Thinking

This time, Keith swallowed his anxiety, and knocked. “Katie, can you let me in?”  
The door slid open, and there she was, a look of confusion on her face. “I thought you needed time out?” she asked.  
“I did. And I didn’t like it.” he pouted, and sat down on the floor.  
She walked over, and sat down beside him, “What’s going on? Why did you all of a sudden have an issue with me and Lance hanging out?” she asked.  
“I don’t know. I don’t know what came over me.” he replied.  
She took his hand.  
“Were you worried, because you didn’t trust us? Because I will always choose you, you know that, right? And Lance would NEVER do anything to hurt you.”  
“I know. It wasn’t that.”  
“Was it because we were together without you, then? We have something you weren’t a part of?”  
Keith just looked at her.  
Pidge took a big breath, and closed her eyes.  
“What do you feel for Lance?” she asked. “I'm not mad, or angry or upset, and nothing you say right now is going to change anything between us. I just want to understand. Do you love him?”   
“I don't know… not in the way I love you…” he started. “But, sometimes, it's like Lance has my lungs, you know? Or maybe, we each have one lung, and we need each other to breathe. You have my heart, but Lance has my lung... I don't feel whole without either of you…” he started to cry. “I was so broken, and you've both fixed me in different ways. Lance was the first one to accept me, my insecurities, my quirks. It took him a long time, but he was the first person that I could be myself around. I think he needed that too, there's more to Lance than he shows. He needs touch to ground him, to bring him back, he gets so, so lost, Katie, and he trusts me to bring him back, that's why I'm so willing to take him in my arms, because I know he needs to be saved. He taught me to breathe. He taught me to open up, and let people in. Let you in.” he took her in his arms.  
“You.” he said, “every time I saw you, there was an aching in my chest. A pounding in my ribcage, like my chest was empty. Lance taught me to be okay with myself, but I got to know you, you let me be me, but you taught me I could be more. You taught me patience, and kindness, when I just wanted to push everyone away. I found myself always checking, would this be something Katie would approve of? But also knowing you would be the first one to make it okay if I messed up. I feel like piece by piece, you gave me my heart back, but they all had your name on it. I would ache to be near you, but I would ache more when we were apart. The first time I felt my heart was whole was the night I first held you in my arms. You hold the last piece of my heart, Katie, I can't live without you…”  
“You can't live without your lungs, either.” she said, knowingly, kissed him on the neck, and cuddled into his arms.

*****

“Keith?” she asked, “What if I don’t want things to change?”  
“What do you mean?”  
“Well Shiro says we have to tell Lance, and I kind of agree, but that will change everything, and I don’t know if I want it to change.”  
He just looked at her confused. “You agree that you want to tell him, but you don’t want to tell him?”  
“Well, it’s just, and if you are against this, that’s completely up to you and Lance, and I won’t push it.” she paused, “But if you want him to stay around, that’s okay. I think you love him, and I know he loves you.”  
“I love you Katie?” he said, making it more of a question.  
“I know, and I love you, but it’s okay to love more than one person.” she explained.  
“I really like the way we have been these past few weeks, I don’t mind having Lance around at all. We got a lot closer when you were injured, over our love for you. I love being held by both of you, and falling asleep in both of your arms. You are both so different, but so the much the same. You are complete opposites, but you compliment each other so well. I think you were right about Lance having part of you, because, while I see you both as completely different, it’s like you are two halves of one whole.”  
“What are you saying?” he said.  
“I love you Keith,” she said, “and I know you love me. And you also love Lance. And what I’m saying is, I can easily love Lance, too, if that something you might want?”  
“You want a threesome? Because we haven’t even…”  
“It’s more than that, Keith. We would all be in a relationship together.” she held up two fingers on one hand, “Girlfriend, boyfriend,” she then brought across one finger from her other hand, “BOYFRIEND.”  
“So I would be dating you… and Lance?” he asked.  
“Yes? And I would also be dating Lance” she replied, “If that’s something you both want.”  
He sat there, contemplating. “Won’t people think its wrong?” he asked.  
“Keith, to be honest, we are practically in a relationship with Lance anyway, he’s just been missing out on this…” she said, and kissed him. “And I don’t care what people say, as long as it’s what all three of us want, it doesn’t matter to anyone else.”  
“I need to think about this.” he said.  
“That’s perfectly fine,” she replied, “But can we not do it on the floor,” she said standing up, and holding her hand out to him.  
“Sounds like a good idea.” he said, and let her help him up.   
He tucked her under his arm, and they made their way to his room.


	18. Confessions

Chapter 18 - Confessions 

It was the early hours of the morning when Keith came to his door, but Lance was awake.  
“Hi” was all he said, laying on the bed, staring up at the roof.  
“Hey” Keith said, as he sat down near Lance’s feet.  
“What do you want?” Lance asked, a crispness in his voice.  
“I came to apologise,” he started, “I’m sorry things have been so weird lately, and I’m sorry I got angry with you and Pidge before. I’ve been very... out of my depths lately.” he sighed, and hung his head.  
Lance sat up. “You could have come to me, at any time” he said.  
“That’s just it,” he replied, “I couldn’t, Lance. I’ve been keeping something from you, and I guess the reason I couldn’t tell you, was because I didn’t want to hurt you. I didn’t keep it from you on purpose, it’s just every time I went to tell you, I found some reason to stop myself.” He hesitated, “But, if you come with me now, I can explain everything.”  
Lance moved himself so he was sitting next to Keith. It hurt that Keith was keeping something from him, but, honestly, he wasn’t sure if he wanted to know. He wanted to be as far away as possible from Keith right now, but Keith looked so broken, he wanted to comfort him. So he sat there awkwardly, both wanting to touch him, and not touch him at the same time.   
“What are you talking about Keith?”  
“Can you come? To Green with me?”  
“To Green?” he replied “I… I don’t know Keith? I don’t know what has been going on, but I don’t know if I can take any more of it.”  
“Please?” was all that Keith said, and looked him in the eyes. Lance stared back, but said nothing. Keith sighed, stood up, and walked out. Of course, Lance followed.

*****

Pidge sat awkwardly, curled up in a little ball on her usual spot on the end of the couch, waiting for her boys, hoping that Keith had managed to work things out with Lance.  
It was funny that, now she had come to accept it, she had already mentally taken possession of Lance. They had been ‘The boys’ in her head for so long, now they were ‘her boys’. She wanted it more than she would acknowledge.  
She and Keith had talked for hours about everything. About their feelings for each other, and their feelings for Lance, about how each individual person worked, about how they each complemented each other. Pidge persuaded Keith to open up more about Lance, and it was decided that they not only both wanted Lance, but they both needed him, to make them better. Not only did Lance balance out Keith, but as they talked, Pidge learnt that Lance balanced her out too. Pidge was somewhat forward and domineering, where Lance was more relaxed. On the outside, Pidge could sometimes seem too serious, sarcastic, and sometimes seem to lack empathy, while Lance was fun, warm, and compassionate.   
But Pidge knew she wasn’t as hard as everyone assumed, and her heart ached for her boys, especially now she knew more about Lance. Keith knew she had a soft side, and Lance would see it too, but that didn’t mean she needed protecting. She would do anything to protect them, both physically, and emotionally. She would be a marshmallow for her boys, but she would also be a stone-faced warrior if she needed to be.

*****

Lance just followed Keith silently. Keith knew Lance was there, only a few steps behind, but he didn’t look back, and neither of them said a word. To anyone looking from the outside, it would look like both boys were marching off to war, not entirely sure where they were going, both unsure of what they would find, and both scared of what would happen when they got there.  
Lance was unsure what Keith had to tell him, but seeing as they were going to Green, he knew it had to have something to do with Pidge too. ‘This is it,’ he thought, ‘they’ve fallen in love, and have finally decided they’re better off without me.’ He almost turned around, but, as if sensing his hesitation, Keith looked back at him, making sure he was still there, and something in his eyes kept Lance going. ‘He’s just as scared as I am,’ he thought, ‘Why?’  
They kept walking, down the walkways, and into the hangar.

*****

Keith walked into the cargo hold.  
“Well?” she asked.  
Lance walked in 5 seconds later.  
“I didn’t do it. You are better at words than me.” he shrugged, and sat down, defeated.  
Lance just stood in front of them, a look of worry and confusion on his face.  
“So you just lead him here, without any explanations? He looks like a lamb going to the slaughter!” she said, unbelievingly. “Calm down Lance, it’s not that bad. At least, I hope it’s not that bad.”  
“That really calms me, Pidge!” he whined.  
“Sit down, we want to talk to you.”  
Lance sat down where he was, on the floor, facing the other two Paladins.  
“Did you at least apologise for before?” she asked Keith.  
“Yes, I did” he said getting agitated.  
“Well, that’s a start, I guess.”  
She then turned to Lance. “We’ve got something to tell you,” she started,   
“Keith got that far,” Lance replied.  
“And we’ve got something to ask you.” She took a deep breath, “Some things may hurt you, or anger you, or confuse you,” she said, “but can you try not to make any assumptions, or judgements until I get to the end?”  
Lance just looked at her.  
“So.” she said, “For the last few weeks, Keith and I have been seeing each other in secret. Allura found out the night I blew up at you at dinner, and Shiro found out, actually, I don’t know when Shiro found out. And the others found out last night, after you left.”  
“So I’m the last to know, great” he said.  
“There’s a reason for that.” Keith said, “I didn’t want to hurt you, so I kept it a secret from everyone, until it exploded in my face.”  
“You didn’t want to hurt me? Pretty sure my two best friends keeping a secret like that away from me is pretty hurtful, Keith!” he spat.  
“No assumptions or judgements until the end!” Pidge reminded. Lance just glared at her.  
She began to tell their story, how they both decided they wanted to be together, their first few days together, the movie night Lance had interrupted.  
“So I guess I was just a big old spare wheel then?” he mumbled.  
Pidge stopped, and just looked at him.  
“Sorry…” he said, and she kept going.   
“That day you had said something to me Lance, about the Garrison, and it made me see you differently. I began taking notice, and seeing that there is more to you than I thought. Keith helped me see that too. You came to us that night, and you needed help. I was upset at you for interrupting, but I could also see that you needed us then.”  
He tilted his head at her, but continued listening.  
“The next morning, when we woke up, I was sandwiched in between you both, and I was happy. I felt good, but that made me confused, and angry at myself, and I took that out on you, Lance, I’m sorry. Keith and I decided that day that you needed us, and we needed to be better friends to you, so we started spending more time with you, and I got the chance to get to know you better.”  
“You pitied me?”  
“Lance.” This time it was Keith. “No.”  
“I got to know you better, and I found out how much you and Keith needed each other, and how much I actually enjoyed spending time with you. I found out we had a similar sense of humour, we get the same pop-culture references, we like the same movies, and you are so much more smarter, and kinder, and sensitive than I ever would have thought. You helped me grow.” Pidge continued.  
“And the more time we spent together, the more it became harder to tell you, because subconsciously, we didn’t want things to change.”  
“Then, what happened with Keith, neither of us would have got through that on our own, Lance. We supported each other, and helped each other through, each of us knowing what the other needed, and caring for each other. I wouldn’t have eaten or slept if you hadn’t been there, forcing me to do those things.”  
“Neither would I…” added Lance.  
“You’re no good at being quiet.” Keith chuckled.  
“I depended on you Lance, you became a part of me I couldn’t live without. I began realising what you and Keith are to each other, and you were becoming that for me, too.” she turned to Keith, “Maybe it’s time you spoke?” she asked.  
“Um.” he started, “I’m not as good at words. I don’t know how you feel, Lance, and I don’t really know how I feel either, but, I know that I feel peace with you, and that you calm me down, and I need you to help me breathe. I don’t know what I would do without you, Lance.” both boys blushed, and looked away from each other. Pidge let them have a minute.  
“And then Keith woke up, and we just fell into this pattern of being together, all the time. I didn’t know how you two felt, but when we were apart, I no longer only worried about Keith, but you, too, Lance. I felt odd when one, or both of you weren’t around, like part of me was missing.” she looked over to Keith, and nodded.  
“I felt the same. I thought there was something wrong with me. I knew I loved Pidge, and I didn’t know what I’ve been feeling for you Lance, but I know I need you in my life.” Lance just looked at him, silently, many emotions running through his face.  
“We were kinda hoping you might feel the same way?” Pidge said, and he looked at her, still confused.  
“It’s like you are, both,” he looked between them, “saying that...” he looked down, “but no, that’s stupid…”  
“Well that gives us our answer then…” said Keith, slightly angry.  
Pidge saw something in Lance, “Wait,” she said, putting a hand up at Keith, and asked Lance, “How is it stupid?”  
“Because I thought you were saying you love me, but that’s stupid, you don’t love me. You love each other. What is it you want from me?”  
“I love you Lance.” Keith said, straight faced, and Lance looked at him in shock, “And I love Katie.”  
“And I love Keith,” Pidge said, “but I’m falling for you too.”  
“You can’t…”  
“Why not?” asked Pidge, “If it feels right to us, it’s not wrong. I know it’s a lot to take in, but, if you feel the same way,” she hesitated, “we would both like to date you too.”  
Lance looked at her for a minute, and stood up.  
“I… I’ve got to go…” he said, and started walking out.  
“If you want, you can come back anytime, Green will let you in.” Pidge called after him.  
Lance just nodded, and walked out.


	19. Perfectly Tactful

Chapter 19 - Perfectly Tactful

Pidge and Keith want down to breakfast late, tired and cranky, and wanting to avoid the others, but Shiro was still sitting there, which was strange, because he was usually efficient, and never lingered anywhere.  
“I was waiting for you two,” he said, as they sat down, “I want to have a talk with you.”  
“Another one! Three in less than 12 hours. After this, we need a nap!” Keith dropped his head into his hands.  
“We don’t need a lecture… Dad…” Pidge said, dripping with sarcasm, “We’ve done what you asked, and more, and it hasn’t gone that well for us.”  
“You expected it to be easy?” he looked at Keith, “You had to know that Lance wouldn’t take it well, you were practically breaking his heart!” he turned to Pidge, “and what do you mean, and more? I expected you, at least, to be tactful about this.”  
“We were perfectly tactful. And we didn’t break his heart. We may have confused his heart, or offended it, but… I don’t think we broke it?” Pidge looked confused herself, as Keith lifted his head.  
“Explain.” was all Shiro said, giving them both a stern look.  
Pidge began explaining everything that had been going on these last few weeks, punctuated every now and then with additions from Kieth, while Shiro sat and listened, a look of deep concentration on his face.  
“I see,” he said, after Pidge had caught him up, “Not what I expected at all.”  
“So now we don’t know what he’s thinking, we don’t know if he’s upset, or disgusted, or embarrassed, but it didn’t look good, so we’ve decided to just give him some space, and let him work himself out, while we try to recover from opening ourselves up, and making ourselves vulnerable. We took a very big chance doing what we did, and we don’t know how we are going to face him now.” Pidge concluded.  
“Just wait,” Shiro said, “You put a lot on him, but I’m sure it’s not as bad as you both think.” He rubbed the back of his neck, “We are doing nothing today, until we arrive at Arus later. For now, I’m giving you permission to keep out of the way, sleep, do whatever you want, it sounds like you’ve had a big night.” he stood up, “I’m going to talk to Allura, and then I’m going to go find Lance,” Pidge started to interrupt, “Don’t worry, I’m not going to talk about it, unless he does, but he just might need someone to talk to, and contrary to what everyone thinks around here, I’m not that old, and I do have some insight into at least some of this situation.” he blushed, “He’s undoubtedly having some confusing thoughts. Maybe I can help. In reality, I should have done this sooner.”He nodded to himself, and he walked out of the room.  
“What’s he talking about?” Pidge asked.  
“Adam.” Keith said, still staring sadly at where Shiro had left.  
“Who?”  
Keith looked at her, and a wave of tiredness suddenly hit him. “Couch, and then I’ll tell you.” he said, and the two got up, and went back to the Green Lion.

*****

Shiro had gone and told Allura that he had given the Paladins the day off until they got to Arus. Allura hadn’t been happy, but had eventually agreed.  
He now stood outside Lance’s door, preparing himself to go in. Suddenly, the door opened, and he was face to face with Lance.  
“Oh! Hi Lance!” he said.  
“Hi Shiro?” He said in a drawn out, questioning way.  
“I, ah, where are you off to?” he asked.  
“I was going to visit Kaltenecker.” he said, eyeing Shiro, he was acting very suspiciously.  
“Oh, can I come with you?” he asked.  
“Sure…” for someone who was usually calm and collected, Shiro was acting strange. Lance started walking, and Shiro followed. He seemed to have gained his composure by the time they got to Kaltenecker, and stood in brooding silence.  
“Was there something you wanted, Shiro?” asked Lance.  
“No, I’ve just given everyone the morning off, and I thought I’d just check in with everyone, see how everyone was doing.”  
Lance tilted his head, and raised an eyebrow.  
“I know, for me,” said Shiro, “when it’s quiet, that’s when I miss my family the most, and I get lonely. I wanted to just check that everybody was okay, and let them know that I’m here to talk to, if anyone needs it.” Shiro said, looking at Lance.  
“That’s the first time you mentioned your family, Shiro, I didn’t know you had any? Well of course you have family, you weren’t created in a lab, but, I didn’t know you had ones that you missed. I mean.” he cut himself off, before he dug his hole any deeper.  
Shiro chuckled, “It’s okay. I have a fiance. Had a fiance. I don’t know, when I left for Kerberos, we weren’t exactly on good terms.”  
“Wow!” said Lance, “What was her name? I bet she is beautiful!”  
“Adam.” Shiro replied, his eyes sparkling, “And he was the most beautiful person I have ever seen,” he looked over to Lance, “Inside and out.” The adoration glowing from Shiro’s face, and from his words, was hard to miss.  
“I didn’t know.” said Lance.  
“That I was gay?” asked Shiro, “Keith is the only one that knows,” he shrugged, “It’s not something I feel like I have to announce. No one has the right to know, unless I decide they do. Straight people don’t have to announce their sexuality, so why should we?”  
“Oh, okay.” Lance said, and then went quiet.   
“Keith’s bisexual.” he blurted out.  
“I know.” replied Shiro.  
“I think I may be too.” he paused, “I definitely like girls, but I’m pretty sure I like guys too. Well, one guy, anyway.”  
“That’s perfectly okay.” Shiro replied, “Sometimes it happens like that. There are no rules.”  
“How do you know? When you love somebody?” Lance asked.  
“For me,” Shiro answered, “Adam and I were at school together. Adam was openly gay, and I was... Reluctant. I became friends with Adam, but I dated girls. I held their hands, and kissed them, but it felt wrong. I could feel their touch on my skin hours afterwards, and it wasn’t a nice feeling. I liked them, they were nice, and I mistook that for love. I began noticing Adams smile, and how I would do anything to make it appear, and how little things he did tugged at my insides. I felt so happy and relaxed around him, and part of me would feel lost when I wasn’t with him. I was always with him, or thinking about him. I got upset when he was with someone else.” Shiro was gazing into the distance. “One day he took my hand, and it felt like it was meant to be there, and I never let go.” he went quiet.  
They both sat silently with their thoughts for a few minutes.  
“So, you didn’t love him straight away?” Lance asked.  
“It rarely happens that way, Lance. That’s just the stuff they put in movies to make it seem more magical.”  
“Shiro?” Lance asked, “Do you think it’s wrong to love two people?”  
“No. It’s called Polyamory, Lance, and there are those out there that happily have polyamorous relationships. Love is love. Do you think it's wrong?”  
“But aren't you supposed to find The One, and get married, and have a family, and live happily ever after?” he asked.  
“I think you are about 100 steps ahead of yourself.” Shiro shook his head. “You've watched too many romantic movies, lover boy, you need to think smaller. No one can dictate how your life is going to go, and no one can help who they love. You've been given this choice, and you need to choose what's right for you, based on how you feel now. Forget about what you think you know, what you think may be right or wrong, how do THEY make you FEEL? Whether this is The Love for you, you will have to wait and see, but you'll never know unless you give them the chance. You're young, you've got plenty of life and love ahead of you. You make this decision for now, not the future. If you love them now, make sure they know that. If you don’t, same thing. If you can’t handle being with BOTH of them, again, tell them. Communication is the key here, Lance”  
“You know?” asked Lance.  
“Yes,” he replied. “I know that you have been given a choice, and I know that you may be confused” he said, putting his hand on Lance’s shoulder, “And I know that Keith and Pidge both care for you very much. I’ve given you the advice I can, the rest is up to you.”  
“Thank you, Shiro, I think.” Lance said, as Shiro began to walk away.   
“Good luck Lance” he said, over his shoulder. And with that, he was gone.


	20. Call me Katie

Chapter 20 - Call me Katie

Pidge and Keith went back to Green. They were both very tired, and wallowing in their shared pity. They had convinced themselves so much that this move was the right one, and they had fallen in love with the idea so much, that they hadn’t even stopped to consider that Lance would feel different.

They curled up on her couch, and put a movie on, but they weren’t really watching it.   
Keith told her all about Adam, and told her more about his life before Voltron. The Paladins had all known the basics, but this time he went deeper, and told her about how much Shiro, and Adam, had meant to him, and how angry he had got at Adam for breaking it off when Shiro went on the Kerberos mission. He felt so bad leaving on such bitter terms with Adam, and he should have tried to get some word to him that Shiro was alive.  
Pidge then told Keith about how much she missed her mother, and about how bad she felt, just leaving her. She began crying, and Keith took her in his arms. Keith calmed her down, telling her that Sam would be back on Earth with her mother by now, and how they would be safely together, and she would now know that both her, and Matt would be safe. He then began talking to her about the future, as he gently stroked her hair.

“We will all live in the same neighbourhood,” he mused, “I couldn’t imagine living too far away from anyone. Your Mum and Dad will live down the road, not too far away, but not as close as the others. Matt will live across the other side of town.” he closed his eyes, and kept talking. “Shiro and Adam will have a cozy home, with a nice garden, a cat for Shiro, a dog for Adam, and a dozen spare rooms for any stray kids they decide to keep,” he chuckled, “Aunt Allura, and Crazy Uncle Coran will live in a large, modern house, with the best technology, and cool things, like indoor slides, zip-lines, climbing walls, and nets strung near the ceiling that you can lay in. All the kids will love hanging out there.” he felt Katie smile into his chest as he kept going. “Hunk and Shay will have the biggest, most comfortable home. They will have a big kitchen, and a big backyard, and that’s where we will spend every birthday, holiday, and every other special celebration we can think of. Even if we have to make some up to spend the time together.”  
“What about our house?” she asked.  
“Our house will have the best theatre room, for movies and gaming.” he started.  
“Obviously” she agreed.  
“A large workshop, where you can tinker away, and a large garage, where I can tinker away.”  
“Sounds nice.”  
“Minimalistic kitchen, because, honestly, neither of us can cook. Hunk will keep us fed, we’ll just need a microwave,” he chuckled, “and a big walk in freezer filled with Ice-cream.”  
“You know me too well.”  
“Lots of plants everywhere, because I know how much you miss them,” he said kissing her head.  
“Big comfy couches, and floor to ceiling windows, so we can snuggle like this, and watch the stars,” she added, “Because I know how much YOU will miss them. How much we will ALL miss them.” He sighed, and squeezed her tighter.

“That all sounds wonderful,” said a voice behind them, “But there’s one person you didn’t mention.”  
Pidge sat up, Lance was standing there, looking slightly put out. They hadn’t heard him walk in.  
“Well, we aren’t entirely sure where you fit in, but of course you’ll be there somewhere too, Lance.” Pidge said, trying not to let her emotions get the better of her. Sure, she was upset by Lance’s decision, but it had been his to make. They couldn’t hold that against him.  
“I’m not entirely sure where I’ll fit in once we get back to Earth, either,” he confessed, “But I know where I’d like to at least try fitting in right now…” he mumbled the last few words.  
“And where would that be?” asked Keith, not sure where Lance was going with this.  
“Right now?” he said, “Between you on the couch, trying to work this out?” he replied.  
“Are you saying you want this to happen?” Keith asked, a smile coming across his face.  
“I think so?” he replied, his face softening, “I want to try, at least.”  
Pidge shuffled herself to one end of the couch, and Keith sat up more, so there was room for Lance in between them.  
Lance sat down stiffly. “So. How does this work?” he asked, looking between the two.  
“To be honest, we aren’t entirely sure,” Pidge replied, “We are just running on instinct, and what feels right.”  
“Okay,” he nodded, and continued to sit there.  
“So we just take things slowly, make sure we’re all comfortable, talk about things. I think communication is going to be the most important. But for now, we just need to relax, get comfortable with each other and the idea.”  
She jumped up, and put her favourite movie on.  
“Scott Pilgrim is legendary” Lance said, smiling, “I lesbians this movie!”  
Pidge chuckled at him, sitting back on her end of the couch, and Keith rolled his eyes.  
Keith repositioned himself on his end of the couch.  
“Lance, if you want to?” he asked, opening his arms, asking Lance to lie there, like he had done so many times before.  
Lance hesitated for a moment, looking at Pidge, who nodded. He then collapsed back, on to Keiths chest, and Keith wrapped his arms around his waist.   
Lance then opened his arms.  
“Come on Pidgey!” he said, “You know you want to!”   
Pidge then lay down, and curled up into Lance. Keith wrapped his long arms around both of them.  
They all relaxed. This is where they were meant to be. Their breathing calmed. Three hearts, beat as one.  
“Call me Katie.” she said, and closed her eyes, enjoying the safety and warmth of her boys embrace.


End file.
